Arizona Cardinals: Ignoring Greg Dortch would be an atrocity in 2023

In 2022, Arizona Cardinals former head coach Kliff Kingsbury slashed wide receiver Greg Dortch’s playing time following Rondale Moore’s return.

Last season, you could argue that Greg Dortch was the MVP for the Arizona Cardinals offense. While it’s true DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown had better output, and running back James Conner came on strong, they got far more chances than Dortch when they were healthy enough to be on the playing field. 

Meanwhile, Dortch had to fight for basically every minute of playing time, yet no one made the most of it more than the 5’7 speedster. Dortch finished the season with four starts, and he played just 513 snaps, but he caught 52 passes for 467 yards, and two touchdowns, which equals one reception per 9.8 snaps. 

Contrast this with DeAndre Hopkins, who snagged 64 catches in 555 snaps, and it’s one catch per 8.6, or Marquise Brown, who had 67 receptions in 783 snaps, good for one per 11.6 snaps. These are two great players, and Dortch is right in the middle from a receptions standpoint, and really, just 1.2 behind Hopkins, which given their respective statuses, is sensational for Dortch. 

Arizona Cardinals MUST not ignore Greg Dortch in 2023

While the Cards drafted Michael Wilson, who should play a lot considering he stays healthy, Dortch should at least have a leg up on Rondale Moore, who has played in just 22 of a possible 34 games (15 starts) since Arizona drafted him in 2021. Moore has talent (41 catches in 459 snaps, one catch per 11.1 snaps), but he’s been injury prone since his college days. 

Last season, Moore’s return prompted then coach Kliff Kingsbury to send Dortch back to the bench, where he saw very little playing time until, you guessed it, Moore went down with yet another injury. While Moore has looked good when healthy, having averaged over five catches per game and 10.1 yards per reception, Dortch has shown everyone he’s an effective player when given the chance. 

Overall, the Arizona Cardinals must righten a wrong this season, and give Dortch more playing time. I’m not saying to put him on the field for every play, but given his playmaking ability last season, he’s more than earned an expanded role in 2023. 

Source: Three Under the Radar Cardinals for 2023 by Donnie Druin, SI.com

(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)