It's never too early for playoff predictions, right?
Now that the dust of the NFL offseason has settled (free agency, the draft, and the schedule release have all come to an end), it's time to look forward to the upcoming season. For the Arizona Cardinals, the beginning of the season can't come quickly enough.
Arizona Cardinals fans have a true sense of hope for the first time in years. After a masterful offseason led by general manager Monti Ossenfort, the Cardinals are in position to make a return to the playoffs. According to one prediction, they're ready to take that step.
Arizona Cardinals included in latest playoff predictions
In a recent article, NFL Spin Zone's Lou Scataglia predicted the seven teams that will make the NFC playoffs this season. Scataglia had the Arizona Cardinals just sneaking in as the seventh seed.
This could be a completely new team in 2025. As Scataglia says, "This team totally overhauled their defensive line and now have it as a strength, and a year two jump from Marvin Harrison Jr, who was very good in 2024, could push this offense over the edge and into a playoff spot."
He's absolutely right. This defense, which performed at a higher level than its talent should have allowed last season, is set up for a massive improvement. The front seven is now made up of true threats who can take over at any moment. The secondary is young but capable.
The Arizona Cardinals are relying on seeing improvement from a few offensive players; they invested almost nothing on that side of the ball. But, as Scataglia mentions, any improvement in the connection between Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. would solidify the unit as a top-ten offense.
An improved defense, a top-ten offense, and a relatively easy schedule? Sounds like a winning formula to me.
The rest of the predicted playoff participants are relatively standard. Scataglia has the Commanders, Lions, Rams, Falcons, Eagles, and Packers all making the postseason. Notably, the San Francisco 49ers were left out of the picture.
Is it a bit depressing that Cardinals fans would celebrate over the potential of being the final team in the NFC playoffs? Sure, but this fan base has had little to be excited about in the last decade. A playoff berth, no matter the seed, would be concrete evidence that this franchise is headed in the right direction.