Everybody from fans to media pundits alike have their opinions on the Arizona Cardinals amid a 2025 season that carries expectations of a postseason push, though rarely do we hear from former NFL players - let alone franchise legends such as Antrel Rolle.
Until now.
In an interview with Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard at Gambling Industry News, Rolle dove into a plethora of topics - which included the current state of Arizona's football team entering its third season under head coach Jonathan Gannon.
“I’ll watch them sporadically, and I think what’s going on with the Cardinals is that they have yet to find their identity. When I got drafted to the Cardinals, the first year we went like 4-12 or something. It was bad, but you could see the growth coming. You saw guys who really wanted it," Rolle said.
"One of the guys I really looked up to on the defensive side of the ball was Darnell Dockett. He was a workaholic. It got to the point where I was in the weight room with him every single Friday, and I was literally lifting weights with him (a defensive end). They wanted it.
“Larry Fitzgerald was probably the hardest-working guy I’ve ever seen on the offensive side of the ball. Getting paid wasn’t enough. These guys wanted to change the culture. You’d see Anquan Boldin out there practicing and playing like a complete dog, and you had to keep up, or you’d get shipped out.
“I think that’s what they’re missing right now in Arizona, those leaders who are looking to really set the foundation. Nowadays these guys get paid a lot of money, man. It has to be more than the money. Once you get those guys on the same page, that’s when you’re going to see things shift in a different direction, and I think that’s what they’re having a big issue with.”
Rolle, who was the eighth overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, spent the first four seasons of his career in the desert before leaving for the New York Giants after being cut - whom he won a Super Bowl with after losing the big game as a member of the Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Steelers prior.
Rolle eventually retired in 2016 with two All-Pro nods and three Pro Bowls on his resume with 155 games played in 11 seasons.
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