Top 5 Arizona Cardinals under intense pressure in 2023
By Jim Koch
There are a particular group of Arizona Cardinals who could determine where their NFL careers are heading during the 2023 campaign.
For anyone who hasn't noticed, the Arizona Cardinals are undergoing wholesale changes in 2023. Following a dismal campaign last year, the organization proceeded to clean house from top to bottom. Cards owner Michael Bidwill brought in Monti Ossenfort to mop up the mess, and the new general manager is now executing a plan that will hopefully lead to a Super Bowl championship one day.
To reach that goal, the hierarchy needs to assemble a group of players who are willing to put the team first. At his introductory press conference back in January, the longtime executive let it be known that there will be no room for egos in the Arizona locker room. Ossenfort essentially needs to put together a squad that will buy into what first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon is selling.
What all of this means for those who were brought to town by the previous regime remains to be seen. The following are five pieces to the puzzle who will be out to show that they can be key contributors to the Cardinals. Or, if things don't work out in the desert, any other franchise that may elect to employ them in the future.
Kyler Murray - Quarterback
It's no big surprise that Cards quarterback Kyler Murray has been placed at the top of this list. After all, the 25-year-old is fresh off of a campaign in which he posted a 3-8 record as the club's starting signal-caller. To make his status even murkier, the polarizing Murray will be attempting to return from the torn ACL he suffered last December.
There are already whispers that Arizona's new hierarchy may be planning to move on from Murray. The Texas native's slight size (5 foot 10, 207 pounds) is far from ideal for an NFL passer. Also working against Murray are the rumblings that the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner is a "me-first" type of person who is struggling to earn respect from a number of his teammates.
The Redbirds could potentially be in possession of a pair of top-5 draft picks next year, an advantageous position that could enable management to select a quarterback who was absolutely sensational last fall. University of North Carolina stud Drake Maye completed 66.2% of his throws for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns for the Tar Heels in 2022. Having an opportunity to replace the underperforming Murray with an exciting prospect like Maye may be too tempting for Ossenfort and his cohorts to pass up in 2024.