3 Reasons to be Excited About Arizona Cardinals in 2025

The Arizona Cardinals may not be on the entire NFL's radar, but there's still plenty to be excited about as the season begins to inch ever closer.

The Cardinals are just two years removed from a second-straight four-win team. While they have yet to crack the playoffs, they've also given fans reason to get re-invested in the team, showing notable improvement from year one to year two of the Jonathan Gannon era.

They may not be among the NFL's elite teams in 2025, but there are certainly reasons to pay attention. Here are three reasons to be excited about the Cardinals heading into 2025:

1: Arizona Cardinals' Revamped Defense

The Cardinals didn't just add, they entirely remodeled their defense. 2024's defense performed surprisingly well despite little name-brand talent, and fans may be able to witness Arizona's defense emerge in real-time as a top unit.

The Cardinals have a plethora of young, rising defenders, including not one, but two potential defensive rookie of the year candidates in Will Johnson and Walter Nolen III.

But they also added veteran pieces in free agency, including a fan favorite in the ageless Calais Campbell. Considering what Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis was able to do with their limited options in 2024, there could be fireworks defensively.

2: Arizona Cardinals' Marvin Harrison Jr. in Year Two

Hopefully, the collective hype surrounding the legacy star hasn't been entirely killed off by the fact that there was widespread disappointment over his relative lack of explosive production.

Harrison has reportedly bulked up, gained confidence, and appears to be headed in a much different direction in 2025. And it's not as if 885 yards and eight touchdowns in his rookie year was all that poor.

If Harrison truly does get on the same page as Kyler Murray and can begin to unlock his true potential, the Cardinals' offense will be must-see TV.

3: Arizona Cardinals Facing Subdued NFC West Competition

The NFC West is always a difficult division to compete in. That may persist in 2025, but the fact is Arizona's division rivals (at least on paper) are not the elite-level squads that they have been in the past.

Granted, the Rams and 49ers are always postseason threats, and the Seahawks have given the Cardinals fits in recent years. But Matthew Stafford is aging, San Francisco's roster is significantly weakened, and Seattle is entering uncharted territory with Sam Darnold and the loss of DK Metcalf.

There's no guarantee, but the West will be right there for the taking.

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