The Arizona Cardinals endured a mind-boggling 179.8 Adjusted Games Lost in 2025, a metric measuring games missed by starters and major contributors, marking the second-highest total in the FTN metric’s 25-year history. That’s how brutal last season was for our NFC West rivals, and frankly, it gives some serious context to what we saw go down in the division. Talk about a team facing an uphill battle before the season even really got going!
A Season Derailed Before It Began
It’s crazy to think the Cardinals actually started 2-0 last year, snagging wins against the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. They even had close losses to the San Francisco 49ers and, yeah, our own Seattle Seahawks. But then, the injury bug hit them harder than a Pete Carroll tackle drill. Kyler Murray’s foot injury alone cost him the last 12 games, but the dings and dents showed up everywhere across their roster. We’re talking about a team that pretty quickly found out winning in the NFC West means going toe-to-toe with absolute behemoths. Their 3-14 record? A lot of it came from playing in Autobahn traffic against the 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams, and our Seahawks. Remember, Seattle and L.A. were the NFL’s two best teams last season, and the 49ers still put up a 12-5 record despite their own significant injury issues, ranking fifth in AGL. Our Seahawks are still right there where they were last season, the Rams have loaded up like crazy, and the 49ers should still be very good. The Cardinals were just trying to exist in that kind of company.
A Glimmer of Hope in a Tough Slog
Now, looking ahead, the Cardinals have brought in Mike LaFleur as their new head coach, and there’s already a debate brewing about whether they overworked Jeremiyah Love in the preseason. Plus, who is even going to be their quarterback? It’s a complete mystery! This team is absolutely going to need every single player to exceed expectations, from the big names to the guys who don’t have national recognition yet. One guy who absolutely needs to show up big is veteran EDGE Josh Sweat. Last season was a disaster, but Sweat proved he can still deliver. He compiled 12 sacks and 47 total pressures in just 355 pass-rushing snaps in his first year with the team after signing that four-year, $76.4 million contract with $41 million guaranteed. If their defense is going to accomplish anything at all, they’ll need as much of Sweat as they can possibly get.
So, yeah, it looks like it’s going to be a tough slog for the Cardinals again this year. Can Sweat’s impact on defense be enough to turn the tide, especially when the quarterback situation is so murky? We’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on how this all unfolds in the NFC West, especially with our Seahawks ready to roll and holding their ground right where they left off last season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
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