Cardinals Might Not Be The Pushover We Expect

The Arizona Cardinals, and especially Carson Beck, turned a lot of heads Thursday night.

Most everyone expects the Los Angeles Rams’ divisional foe to be one of the NFL’s worst teams, but could the Cardinals actually surprise this season?

Before we go too far off the deep end, this was only one preseason game. A stellar showing in the Hall of Fame Game obviously doesn’t mean Arizona is destined for a playoff run or a finish anywhere close to .500. However, they showed enough flashes in Canton that they might not be a complete pushover in 2026.

Fans and analysts have rightfully given Carson Beck his flowers for a strong NFL debut, but what about first-year head coach Mike LaFleur?

The former Rams assistant coach, in his first game calling the shots, guided the Cardinals to rolling up 425 yards of offense. Arizona rushed for 143 yards (4.2 yards per attempt) and converted on 7-of-12 third-down attempts. If that’s how the unit performs without its primary starters in the lineup, imagine the damage they’ll do once the regular season kicks off.

Still, Beck was sensational and quite poised against Carolina. He finished 15-of-19 for 188 yards and one touchdown, delivering several accurate passes and demonstrating veteran presence in the pocket throughout. Additionally, he also led a 98-yard touchdown drive in the first half. Jacoby Brissett shouldn’t have much to worry about for now, but if he struggles to start the season, the calls for Beck to start will grow louder in the desert.

Again, this was only one preseason game, which rarely means anything once the real games begin. But the game showed that maybe the Cardinals are finally on the right path. They do have an extremely low bar to clear.

As I noted ahead of the NFL draft, Arizona has gone 19-49 from 2022 to 2025, including three double-digit loss campaigns. They’ve also made five postseason appearances this century, including once in the last decade (2021). The Cardinals’ playoff drought is four seasons and counting, with one winning season since advancing to the 2015 NFC Championship.

LaFleur doesn’t need to be a miracle worker in Year 1. Instead, he needs to guide his team towards progress, which shouldn’t be too difficult, given the Redbirds are coming off a three-win campaign. The Cardinals have the worst odds to make the playoffs in the NFC (+2000), according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Despite that, ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick said on “The Dan Patrick Show” this week that he believes in Arizona’s potential, thanks to its young roster. Riddick could be onto something.

The Cardinals will likely be the worst team in the loaded NFC West this season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t put some scares into the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers along the way. Thursday was certainly a promising start to the LaFleur era in Arizona, and perhaps it could be the start of good things to come for a franchise that sorely needs it.