Arizona Cardinals 2024 Season Preview
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Mike Christy/Getty Images)
The Arizona Cardinals had a pivotal offseason in 2024. Their rebuild has officially begun and it looks like they are going to try and make it work with Kyler Murray leading the team. They were a putrid team in 2023 due to Murray’s absence, but with him coming back, the ceiling is much higher.
The only loss of any significance for Arizona this offseason is Marquise Brown leaving to play for the Kansas City Chiefs. Other than that, they did not lose any starting caliber players.
The Cardinals were also able to agree to terms on multi-year contracts with players such as Mack Wilson, Bilal Nichols, Sean Murphy-Bunting, and Jonah Williams. They also agreed to one-year contracts with Krys Barnes and LJ Collier among others.
However, the Cardinals’ biggest additions came via the draft. Marvin Harrison Jr. immediately turns their offense into a force. His ability to get open at all three levels of the field is unlike any wide receiver prospect to come before him. He combines elite size with elite speed and play strength to outmatch any cornerback. He is truly a game wrecker. In addition to Harrison, the Cardinals took some of my draft crushes such as EDGE Darrius Robinson, CB Max Melton, RB Trey Benson, and IOL Isaiah Adams.
The Cardinals travel to Western New York to take on the Buffalo Bills to open the 2024 season. After a tough cross-country trip, they get 3 straight home games against the Rams, Lions, and Commanders. For the month of September, I have Arizona going 1-3.
They then travel to San Francisco for a divisional game against the 49ers, then to Green Bay to face the Packers before coming home to host the Chargers on Monday Night Football in Week 7. To close out October, they travel to Miami to battle the Dolphins. The Cardinals will go 0-4 in this stretch. Halfway through the season, I have them at 1-7.
November only consists of 3 games for the Cardinals as they have a Week 11 bye. They host the Bears in Week 9, the Jets in Week 10, and come back from the bye in Seattle to play the Seahawks. I have the Cardinals going 2-1 in this stretch.
To close out the season, the Cardinals travel to Minnesota for a Week 13 game against the Vikings, host the Seahawks and Patriots, travel to Carolina to scrap with the Panthers, back to Los Angeles to face the Rams, and finish the season at home against the 49ers. The Cardinals will go 3-3 in this stretch.
When all is said and done, I have the Cardinals going 6-11. While it is a bad record, there is light at the end of the tunnel with the rebuild. Their ceiling is 8-9 while their floor is 4-13, they are one of those teams that is so up in the air when it comes to what we will see from them this season.
2023 Record: 4-13
2024 Prediction: 6-11
