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Sights are set more towards 2024 than 2023 for the Arizona Cardinals, as their below-average roster and an ACL recovery for Kyler Murray certainly have made things tough. Fighting an uphill battle in the NFC West, there are plenty of signs pointing towards the Cardinals already throwing in the towel for this upcoming season.
But not all hope is lost – having moved down in the 2023 NFL Draft and picking up an extra first-round selection next year via the Houston Texans, next year’s draft could be exactly what this franchise needs. With new head coach Jonathan Gannon entering his first season leading the team, the future has some bright spots to it.
Arizona’s foray into free agency this off-season left a lot to be desired, especially with the players that they lost. But it was a move that they did not make that defines how
Not adding a proven, veteran QB
Moves such as letting Byron Murphy leave in free agency (for the Vikings), waiting until the third round to draft a wide receiver, and trusting fifth-round QB Clayton Tune with potentially starting the year as QB could be seen as the biggest issues of Arizona’s off-season.
But instead, it was the fact that the Cardinals decided that they did not need to add a solid veteran stop-gap QB to start while Murray finishes up his rehab program. With a nine-month estimated timeline for Murray, he should be able to see the field around the middle of September.
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But there should be no expectations that Murray is fully recovered and 110% at this date, making a backup QB even that more important. Adding Tune in the fifth round shows that this team likely will trust him in an event where Murray needs more time, which is a scary realization.
The fact that David Blough and Jeff Driskel were the other QBs brought in during free agency shows that the front office must think pretty highly of Murray and his path to recovery so far. Neither of these two NFL veterans are worth more than a depth role, and if either are thrown into the action, good luck.
Veteran QB options were plentiful in free agency this off-season (Jacoby Brissett, Taylor Heinicke, Mike White, Case Keenum), and yet new general manager Monti Ossenfort stayed away from the top options. This could very well bury any sort of hope this team has for this year, which could ultimately help the Cardinals struggle and earn another top draft selection.
Rushing Murray back just to field a five-win team is an easy way to rub your superstar QB the wrong way and open up a high re-injury window, setting your team back even further. While the Cardinals are not considered to be a competitor for the postseason during the 2023-24 season, the fact that they stayed away from any starting-caliber backup QBs speaks volumes.
