Cardinals Could Challenge Rams For NFC West Crown

The Arizona Cardinals haven't won the NFC West in 10 years, but they have a chance to end that drought in the upcoming season.

CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin believes the NFC West is the most wide-open division in the league for the upcoming season.

"There's a case to be made that the Rams deserve more props for the way they finished 2024, nearly knocking off the Eagles in the postseason, and giving Matthew Stafford another perimeter weapon in Davante Adams should help Sean McVay oversee a high-flying attack. They could go deep! And yet the San Francisco 49ers are always a force under Kyle Shanahan when healthy; they're due for a rebound. The Seattle Seahawks at least offer an imposing defense under Mike Macdonald. And the Arizona Cardinals just beefed up their own "D" as well," Benjamin wrote.

The Los Angeles Rams were named the most vulnerable division winner from a year ago, thanks to three challengers that could unseat them on top of the NFC West.

Though the Cardinals finished third in the division in 2024, there's reason to believe that they could leapfrog second place and end up in first.

Arizona has an easy schedule to begin the season, which could give the team an early lead in the standings. If the Cardinals can benefit from improved play by Kyler Murray and second-year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona could be in business to have a great season.

The defense is expected to improve after major renovations to the front seven in free agency and the draft, and that could be what gets the Cardinals over the hump and back into the postseason for the first time since 2021.

In the meantime, the Cardinals will participate in OTA's this week at the team's practice facility in Tempe.