Arizona Cardinals future is better than Carson Palmer believes
By Sion Fawkes
Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer weighed in on the team’s future, and he did not sound optimistic in the slightest.
Carson Palmer led the Arizona Cardinals to one of their best seasons in team history back in 2015. And he has recently weighed in on the Redbirds immediate future, not sounding so optimistic regarding their outlook for 2023.
However, Palmer was inaccurate regarding a few of these comments when describing what he believes is the Cardinals “bleak” future. Here is what he had to say regarding quarterback Kyler Murray:
"“The future is bleak right now when you really look at it and the timeline of things. Kyler blows out his knee out in the middle of December, you got to throw in nine, maybe 12 months in the process for any hiccups.” – via Arizona Sports."
I don’t know if Palmer missed the memo, but we have since found out that Kyler Murray’s ACL tear is a clean one, meaning that, barring anything unforeseen, he will be back in the saddle come Week 1. Palmer didn’t stop there regarding Murray and the Cardinals. He also said the following:
"“He’s on a short timetable, they have a lot of positions they need to fill, they’ve been banged up everywhere, they have lost guys in the front end and back end. It’s just been one of those years. Now, as a fan, this has been really hard to watch … I know every job in the NFL is attractive, but that’s not that attractive of a job right now.” – via Arizona Sports."
Arizona Cardinals are in better shape than Carson Palmer realizes
While it’s true the Redbirds have suffered through a rash of injuries this season, Palmer isn’t entirely accurate regarding the number of holes on the roster. Considering the Cardinals make no blockbuster trade regarding players like Zach Ertz and DeAndre Hopkins, and if they re-sign Byron Murphy and Zach Allen, they will look better than advertised.
On defense, not only would this mean Murphy and Allen will return, but they will also see youngsters in Marco Wilson, Jalen Thompson, Budda Baker, Isaiah Simmons, and Zaven Collins as staples. Myjai Sanders and Cam Thomas could fill in at edge, and odds are, the Cardinals add a blue chip pass rusher in the NFL Draft. Re-sign J.J. Watt? If so, then this defense is looking pretty good.
Go to the offensive side of the ball, and you have the following players who should be back: Kyler Murray, James Conner, DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Zach Ertz, Rondale Moore, Trey McBride, D.J. Humphries, Josh Jones, Lecitus Smith. Not all are great players, but they are serviceable enough to be starters in this league.
As for Palmer’s concerns regarding how unattractive the head coaching position is, it’s also not accurate. Sure, the Cardinals have fired a lot of coaches and front office personnel since arriving in the desert, but they have also given general manager Steve Keim a decade, while head coach Kliff Kingsbury has had four seasons. That’s one playoff win in 14 combined seasons.
Must Read. Cardinals have representation in the 2023 Pro Bowl Games. light
Overall, the Cardinals are better off than Palmer thinks. Sure, they are 4-10 with a rash of injuries and dysfunction in 2022. But there is enough talent on this roster to attract prospective coaches. A rebuild is definitely in order, but not one so dramatic that a potential new coach and general would need to tear the roster down to the foundation.
Article Source: Carson Palmer on 33rd Team: ‘The future is bleak right now’ for Cardinals by Wills Rice
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