The Arizona Cardinals had very few bright spots in 2022. Greg Dortch, once seen as an afterthought, was one of those bright spots. And he’s back for 2023.
Greg Dortch wowed just about everyone in 2022. Clocking in at 5’7, 173lb, it’s easy to see why many teams and coaches, including former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, overlooked the undersized receiver.
Last season, Dortch was on his way to a career year when Kliff, for reasons known but to him, benched the smallish speedster in favor of the overrated Rondale Moore. When he all but disappeared from the lineup following Week 3, Dortch amassed 20 catches on 25 targets, and 198 receiving yards.
Do the math, and that’s over six catches and 66 receiving yards per game, equating to 113 receptions and 1,122 yards across a 17-game span. So yeah, forgive me when I say it was a mystery as to why Kliff sat Dortch in favor of Moore.
Perhaps it had something to do with the latter’s draft status….I don’t know. But if you know me, you will also know that I always, always, always favor the hot hand. And that was Dortch.
Arizona Cardinals lucky to have Greg Dortch return
On Christmas Day 2022, I wrote that Dortch deserved better than what Kliff and the old regime gave him. Now under general manager Monti Ossenfort, head coach Jonathan Gannon, and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Dortch has a chance to shine.
Overall, it was a remarkable move from the new Cardinals brass, who clearly saw Dortch’s value, or else they wouldn’t have bothered to re-sign the smallish speedster. In total, Dortch snagged 52 catches on 64 targets, 467 receiving yards, and 2 touchdowns.
Further, it’s growing clearer that the Cardinals are also looking for a trade partner regarding 30-year-old DeAndre Hopkins. If the star receiver is sent packing, the 24-year-old Dortch could be in for a big 2023.
Source: Greg Dortch says he’s returning to the Cardinals in 2023 by Tyler Drake, ArizonaSports.com.