The Arizona Cardinals can do nothing right in the NFL universe’s eyes

Recently, I’ve been starting to wonder whether it’s possible for anyone in the Arizona Cardinals organization to do anything right in the eyes of the NFL universe. For example, general manager Monti Ossenfort took a conservative approach to free agency despite having hordes of cap space to work with and was just panned for his lack of splashy moves.

Then came Preseason Week 1 vs. the Denver Broncos, and the one position he paid little attention to, the supposedly poor defensive line, came out and was arguably the best unit on the team. Sure, it’s an ultra-small sample size that we shouldn’t put an incredible amount of stock into, but nonetheless, Ossenfort and that supposedly awful defensive line is one for one. 

In the days leading up to the game, we saw others reporting about the state of the Cardinals turf and whether it was safe to play on. My response: The teams’ respective NFLPA reps would not have allowed the game to occur if there were serious concerns regarding the playing surface, let alone to practice on it. The game went on as scheduled, and, predictably, the field was fine. 

The Cardinals latest batch of criticism, however, came not from the lineup nor the playing surface. Instead, it rested with their new uniforms, a set that is a million times cleaner than the outdated Reebok look the team wore between 2005 and 2022. 

It’s impossible for the Arizona Cardinals to do anything right in league circles

While I’m not going to lie and admit that pairing red pants with the red jersey is not the greatest idea in the world (this is coming from a guy who isn’t fond of monochrome looks unless it’s either an all-white or all-black combo), the getups themselves aren’t much different from what the team wore before 2005. 

Those classic looks had no silver outline for the numbers, no ARIZONA written across the front, no cardinal logo above the nameplate, and sleeve numbers as opposed to shoulder numbers. But if the Cards paired the white pants with the red jersey, it’s a Top 10 home uniform in the league, hands down. 

Plain? Absolutely. But in the NFL, the plainer and more “boring” the look, the better. 

And the only thing keeping the look out of the Top 5 are the timeless sets in the AFC West, sans the Broncos and their own dated look, plus the likes of the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, and the Indianapolis Colts. At the absolute least, the uniform is a massive upgrade over the 2005-22 look, which should never see an NFL field again. 

So, if anyone from the organization is reading this article, do us all a favor: Take the classic route and pair the red jerseys with the white pants. Maybe the NFL universe will finally write up a positive review.

Source: Arizona Cardinals' new uniforms earn disappointing reviews in NFL debut: 'Vomit inducing' by Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Central