History on Cardinals side to secure first playoff berth since 2021

What the Cardinals need to keep the streak alive:

General manager Monti Ossenfort was a man on a mission to address the D-line this offseason. The third-year Cardinals general manger signed Pro Bowlers like Calais Campbell, Josh Sweat and other veterans to bring some much needed toughness in the trenches. Ossenfort spent six of the seven 2025 draft picks on the defense, spending the first-round pick on defensive tackle Walter Nolen.

Arizona went back-to-back drafts selecting a defensive lineman, last year picking Darius Robinson. The D-line went from the weakest position group on the roster to the deepest in one offseason. The Cardinals pass rush plagued the defense overall and hindered the team from making a playoff push late last season. However, with the talent in the D-line room, that problem has been eradicated.

The roster upgrades are massive for helping the team next season, but Arizona’s biggest advantage will be having the 27th easiest schedule in the NFL. In the first 11 games of the season, the Cardinals play three teams that had winning records last season. The franchise will need to take care of business and win the games that they should win, which has been easier said than done in the past.

If the team can’t get off to a strong start, it could spell disaster towards the end of the season, with four of its final six games on the road. Under previous regimes, Arizona has gotten off to stellar starts before the wheels fall off in the second half of the season, most notably starting 8-0 in 2021 before losing six of its final nine games. Head coach Jonathan Gannon has steered away from that stereotype in his first two seasons but his biggest challenge will be in 2025 with the expectations the highest its ever been in his time with the franchise.