When the Arizona Cardinals take the field this upcoming season, there will be a ton to observe on them. They have seemed to completely make a 180 degree turn organizationally for the better. There is hope and support within the front office all the way down to the roster. In order to get to where they are now, Monti Ossenfort needed to make some changes to the roster. He has taken over this team and has so far proven that he knows what he is doing and what he wants for the future in Arizona.
Each year, players take on teams that they previously played for. There are games that are viewed as “revenge” games for high-profiled players. The biggest one in recent memory that had a lot of hype going into it was back in 2021 when Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went up to New England to take on the Patriots.
The Cardinals will face three opponents that have players who used to play for the Cardinals. One of them was with the Cardinals last season while the other two have been gone for quite some time but are still impactful players.
Leki Fotu - New York Jets
The latest former Cardinal is now in the Big Apple with the New York Jets. Defensive tackle Leki Fotu was drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Cardinals. Fotu was a decent rotational player in Arizona but was not brought back to the desert. He joins a tough and physical defensive Jets team and could be a fantastic fit to Robert Saleh’s defense.
Calais Campbell - Miami Dolphins
The latest big free agent signing took place this week with defensive end Calais Campbell signing with the Miami Dolphins per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.. Campbell has shown that he still has plenty left in the tank to create disruption on defense and he also brings tremendous leadership skills. This Miami defense lost a lot this offseason but adding Campbell to a defensive front that has players like Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips is great for this defense.
Campbell had 6.5 sacks last season with the Atlanta Falcons and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Haason Reddick - New York Jets
Since his departure from the Cardinals, Haason Reddick has been one of the best underrated edge rushers in the game. He has had four consecutive seasons of 10+ sacks and was traded to the Jets this offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles. Adding Reddick to this Jets defense that already has a ferocious defensive line is scary. When the Cardinals take on the Jets this season, they will have to not only stop Reddick, but also try to contain Quinnen Williams.
Arizona’s offensive line will be heavily tested against the Jets this year without question.