2.) Cardinals get 4 wins or less
The number four should scare Cardinals fans because that is how many wins Arizona has in each of the last two seasons. Getting less than 6-7 wins in a season is a disastrous season no matter how it happens. The Cardinals don’t necessarily need to have the best record in the NFL (although it would be amazing), but they do need to show that they can win and get back to what they were three seasons ago.
Imagine a third consecutive season in Arizona where the Cardinals only win 4 games again or even less…there will be a lot of questions more than answers at every single level in the organization. It wouldn’t even be surprising to see some big changes at crucial positions, both on the roster and on the coaching staff.
1.) Kyler Murray regresses in production
The end of last season gave Cardinals fans hope about what Kyler Murray can do moving forward post-torn ACL. Now he has the chance to elevate the Cardinals with a young core around him. According to overthecap.com, Murray has a cap hit of over $49 million this year and a cap hit over $43 million in 2025. Getting the big bucks means that there needs to be big production. For the next two seasons, the Cardinals are going to have Murray on the roster because of financial reasons. Murray needs to make sure that the Cardinals know that they spent money well on him.
If Murray regresses this season, it will cause some serious concerns about his future with the Cardinals. However, it puts the Cardinals in a tough predicament and they are going to be stuck with a big contract and not get the best out Murray.