Three hottest seats on Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals started a new chapter for their franchise in 2023 with a new general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon. The overall results were not great. The Cardinals finished just 4-13, but they did pull off some big upsets by beating the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, while also keeping most games highly competitive. 

Armed with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, the Cardinals have a chance to add another impact player to their roster this spring. There are also some players whose long-term futures with the team need to be determined. Here are three Cardinals facing the hottest seats for the Cardinals this season.

Quarterback Kyler Murray

Murray missed the first half of the 2023 season as he continued to work his way back from a torn ACL. He finally returned midseason and showed enough to convince Cardinals management that he is their starting quarterback and perhaps put off the decision on taking a replacement for another couple of years. 

But that doesn't mean Murray's long-term future is totally secure.

Over the past two seasons he has finished 21st and 27th in the NFL in passer rating, throwing 24 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. 

The Cardinals would have been stuck with $111 million in dead-cap space if they had moved on from Murray this offseason, but that number drops down to $63 million next season and only $20 million in 2026. That would be far more manageable, and if Murray doesn't perform this season, the Cardinals will have no choice but to explore their options. 

Defensive end Cameron Thomas

The Cardinals selected Thomas with the their third-round pick in 2022, and after showing some promise in his rookie season, he was expected to be a potential breakout player in 2023. It never happened, as he finished the season with zero sacks, only three tackles for loss and just one quarterback hit. All of those numbers were a significant step backward from his rookie season. 

The Cardinals beefed up their defensive line this offseason with the additions of Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones as they look to improve both their run defense and pass rush. If Thomas does not break out this season — or perhaps even in training camp — he could find himself as a potential cut. 

Linebacker Zaven Collins

After two disappointing seasons as an inside linebacker, the Cardinals attempted to move Collins to outside linebacker in 2023 in the hopes that the former first-round pick (No. 16 overall in 2021) could use his speed and athleticism to be more of a disruption in getting to the quarterback. It produced very mixed results, recording just 3.5 sacks, six tackles for loss and only six quarterback hits. It is simply not enough production given his draft spot, and with the Cardinals having to make a decision on his fifth-year option, he is definitely facing some heat and is on the Cardinals' hot seat.