Cardinals' Season Hinges on This Factor

The Arizona Cardinals have had their fair share of crutches holding them back from contention in recent years. Nearly every season since Bruce Arians departed, there's been a different major issue preventing them from reaching the playoffs or making a deep run.

2025 is not necessarily much different in the sense that even some of the best NFL squads tend to have at least one weakness, however small. But the Cardinals' ability to be a contender in 2025 hinges on a different type of factor.

There's been a multitude of factors at play. During the Steve Wilks and Kliff Kingsbury years, there were coaching and locker room concerns.

During the first year (or two) under Jonathan Gannon, those concerns began to evaporate — quickly. But there was one unavoidable block: the overall level of roster talent and depth.

Cardinals Roster Now Worthy of Postseason Talk

It's not to say the Cardinals are among the NFL's most talented rosters heading into 2025, but GM Monti Ossenfort has taken great pains to address the most burning question — the defensive line.

With a wealth of free agent signings and draft picks, the Cardinals cannot use roster talent as an excuse if they fail to contend in 2025.

Arizona now has the talent they need. Arguably, the offensive side of the football could use some more, but there are still talented players offensively - players who have proven they can play at a high level, whether that is consistent or inconsistent.

There are players on this roster who can play, and well. There is reasonable depth behind them in the case of injury. There is a head coach in charge who the players respect - one who can command a room, lead a team and develop young players.

There's been flashes of all these positive factors in 2024 and even 2023.

Instead, the Cardinals' contention window comes down to a simple, single word: execution.

Arizona knows they have the talent. Jonathan Gannon, Nick Rallis and even Drew Petzing know they have players they can utilize schematically and reserves who can fill in in case of injury.

But what the fans (and the media) don't know yet, is whether or not Arizona can execute what they are capable of, consistently.

It's not easy. The NFL is a hard league in a hard sport. But the teams that excel (particularly ones that rely heavily on scheme) in this league are the ones who can reliably execute a gameplan with minimal mistakes.

What that means is the Cardinals don't need splashy plays. They don't need three-play drives or 50-point affairs. They simply need to get out of their own way, and let their talented players play to the level that their inherent talent should allow.

Easier said than done, I know.