3 reasons why it’s Super Bowl or bust for the Cardinals in 2022
By Sion Fawkes
Arizona isn’t getting any younger
Some of the Cardinals’ best puzzle pieces are reaching or have already reached the wrong side of 30. DeAndre Hopkins turns 30-years-old in June and will be entering his tenth season. Puzzle pieces signed or traded to the team in 2021 are already on the back-end of their careers, like J.J. Watt and Rodney Hudson.
Kelvin Beachum will be 33-years-old and Justin Pugh will be 32; both figure to return in 2022 barring a trade or a release. Jordan Hicks is starting to age; ditto for Markus Golden. And if Chandler Jones returns for another season, he will be entering his 11th season.
With so much age on the Cardinals’ roster and substantially less youth, this team was in win-now mode in 2021. Assuming all the above pieces stick around throughout 2022, they will once again take that role and it may be their last chance to win a Super Bowl. Or at least it may be their last chance in a Cardinals uniform.