Why Cardinals Have to Sell at NFL Trade Deadline

With the NFL trade deadline looming, it's time for the Arizona Cardinals to decide if they are buyers or sellers. The season is at its midway point, and at 2-5, the playoffs seem out of reach. Still, maybe the Cardinals can pull off a historic miracle and go on a Lin-sanity run to get back to late-January football.

If you're gonna dream, then dream big.

However, the more realistic reality is that 2025 is likely over for Arizona, and it's time to move on from the season. The Cardinals have a handful of trade candidates they could auction off and get some value back.

Between clearing cap space, nabbing future draft picks, or whatever else, Arizona would be wise to consider being sellers at the deadline.

I've already explored why the Cardinals should be buyers (which you can read here) but let me break down why they should be sellers instead:

Start over at murky positions

The current state of the Cardinals’ roster is intriguing. There are multiple positions that could be looking at overhauls following the season. Spots like defensive tackle, wide receiver, and the offensive line as a whole could look very different in 2026 and unrecognizable in 2027.

To get ahead of those inevitable transitions, the Cardinals could start moving players who won't fit into their future. Arizona wouldn't be shipping big-name players per se, but contending teams could have an interest in adding depth to those positions.

The Cardinals should be happy to part ways with players who match that description and get something—anything—now rather than potentially nothing later.

Too little, too late

Is the 2025 season over? It very well could be, and Monday night's primetime showdown with the Cowboys will likely determine if that's true or not. History is already stacked against Arizona turning a 2-5 start around and making the playoffs.

Even beyond trends, there's little reason to expect the Cardinals to make a dramatic shift in the other direction, especially as the schedule gets more difficult.

It may not be appealing to fans, but the front office has to have a serious conversation about killing the season and selling what they can. Again, other teams may have an interest in some of the Cardinals' players as they load up for playoff runs.

Load up for 2026/27

If the Cardinals do decide to punt on the 2025 season, that just means they can get a head start on continuing to build for the future. Yes, 2025 did have playoff hopes, but it didn't carry expectations. Should Jonathan Gannon and co. survive the year, the playoffs will become mandatory.

Four years to turn a team around with plenty of premium talent via draft picks and free agency spending tends to assign those requirements.

Looking ahead to the next couple of offseasons, the Cardinals have more opportunities to make the most of good draft classes. They will want to accumulate as many draft picks as possible with the well of young talent entering the league soon.

The next two years also feature a bevy of quarterback prospects, so if and when the Cardinals are finally ready to move on from Kyler Murray, they won't be short on options.

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