The Arizona Cardinals drafted quarterback Carson Beck in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

The Cardinals are trying to figure out the future of the QB position after releasing Kyler Murray earlier this offseason. Beck was once considered the best QB prospect of this draft class, but he was surpassed by Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson.

Beck threw for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns with Miami last season. Beck was considered one of the most accurate passers in college football, leading the nation in completion percentage. However, Beck sometimes had trouble dealing with pressure. He threw 12 interceptions in each of his final two seasons of college.

NFL scouts praised his ball placement abilities, but questioned his decision-making. The decision-making questions led him to fall to the third round.

The Cardinals’ first-round selection of Jeremiyah Love drew mixed reception from analysts. Some thought that the talent of Love could add a spark to the Cardinals’ offense, while others thought the Cardinals had more pressing matters to attend to. Love is expected to sign a four-year, $50 million contract with the Cardinals, which will make him the highest-paid running back in the league.

The rest of the Cardinals’ draft picks generally got praised by analysts. Outside of Beck, they also drafted offensive guard Chase Bisontis, defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor, wide receiver Reggie Virgil, linebacker Karson Sharar and offensive tackle Jayden Williams. NFL analyst Chad Reuter praised the Cardinals’ selection of Beck. 

“Despite his lukewarm film over the past two seasons, he has the physical attributes to be an NFL starter,” Reuter said. 

Despite releasing Murray, the Cardinals kept veteran QB Jacoby Brissett. They also signed Gardner Minshew earlier this offseason. Beck will need to prove he’s better than these two veteran QBs if he wants to start this season. 

Former Arizona Cardinals cornerback Chris Payton-Jones was killed in a car crash at 30. 

Jones’ vehicle collided with a pickup truck near Jacksonville, Florida, on April 12. Jones was the only one killed. The driver and two passengers of the pickup truck suffered minor injuries.

It’s unknown how the accident happened. The two cars collided head-on.

>SPORTS LEGENDS WHO DIED IN 2026 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW!

Jones was a three-star recruit out of Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville, Florida. His former high school coach, Adam Geis, spoke about Jones’ death. 

“He was always unbelievably positive. I’ve never heard that kid ever say anything negative about anyone or anything.… It was always a pleasure to be around him. You were always happy to see him,” Geis said. 

Jones committed to Nebraska out of high school. In his senior season, he was on the watchlist for the Jim Thorpe Award. He made the Brook Berringer and Tom Osborne Citizenship Teams. These awards are given to student-athletes who have a positive impact on the Nebraska community. Berringer was also killed in a car crash.

After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, he signed a contract with the Detroit Lions. He was cut shortly before the season began.

Two days after being cut by the Lions, the Cardinals signed him to their practice squad. He made his NFL debut in November against the Los Angeles Chargers. Jones stayed with the Cardinals until 2020.

After being cut by the Cardinals, he had brief stints with the Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders. He played in the XFL in 2023 and the UFL in 2024 and 2025. 

Jones retired after his 2025 stint in the UFL. Jones created a YouTube channel highlighting youth sports in Jacksonville. Current Sandalwood High School coach Patrick Clark praised him for his community work.

“He just was an honest, genuine, true-to-himself type of person,” Clark said.

The Arizona Cardinals are planning to release former Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray. 

Murray was in the middle of a five-year, $230 million contract. The Cardinals will have to absorb $54 million in dead cap after releasing Murray,

Murray was the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Murray’s career started off well, with him winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and making the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021.  

The next two seasons were injury-riddled. Murray played in just 11 games in 2022 and eight games in 2023. Even when he was playing, his completion percentage dipped.

2024 looked like a bounce-back season for Murray. He had 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, along with playing in all 17 games. The only downside was the lack of team success, as the Cardinals finished with an 8-9 record. 

Unfortunately for Murray, injury problems returned for him in 2025. He suffered a foot injury in Week 5 that ended his season. Although Murray looked strong in the games he did play, the missed games were quickly adding up. 

Murray will not get a chance to work with the new head coach, Mike LaFleur. The Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets will likely be the most aggressive teams in the QB market. The Steelers are waiting on a decision from Aaron Rodgers on whether he’ll play in 2026.

There’s another option for Murray as well. He was also drafted by the A’s in the MLB Draft. He never signed with them, but they still hold his signing rights. NFL legends like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders also played in the MLB. In recent years, Russell Wilson was forced to show up to New York Yankees spring training games after he was claimed in the Rule 5 draft. 

Murray can start negotiating contracts on March 9.

The Arizona Cardinals were one of the last teams to decide who their head coach will be next season, but it seems they’ve finally made their decision.

On February 1, the Cardinals announced they would sign Mike LaFleur as their head coach. LaFleur has been the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator since 2023. The Rams have made the playoffs every year he was the offensive coordinator. LaFleur’s brother, Matt LaFleur, is the Green Bay Packers head coach.

LaFleur got his coaching career started in 2009 as the offensive assistant for the Division III Elmhurst Blue Jays. In 2014, the Cleveland Browns gave him a shot as an offensive intern.

In 2016, he helped the Atlanta Falcons make the Super Bowl as an offensive assistant. He made the Super Bowl again in 2019 as the San Francisco 49ers’ passing game coordinator.

LaFleur’s offensive scheme is inspired by Kyle Shanahan. LaFleur worked with him on the Falcons and the 49ers. His offensive system is known for creating good running lanes, pre-snap motion, and quick throws for quarterbacks. All of that should benefit Cardinals QB Kyler Murray. 

On defense, he will need to rely on his defensive coordinator, Nick Rallis. Rallis was a linebackers coach for the 2022 Eagles, who made the Super Bowl. He’s been the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals since 2023. 

In 2024, the Cardinals had the 15th-best defense in the league. Their defense relied on a strong secondary led by Budda Baker. Rallis’ defensive schemes don’t tend to put pressure on QBs; he focuses on breaking up pass attempts. 

Improving pass-rushing is likely to be the Cardinals’ top priority this offseason. On offense, they will need to improve their offensive line to maximize LaFleur’s system. The Cardinals had the 26th-ranked offensive line according to Pro Football Focus.

The Indianapolis Colts achieved a 5-1 start to their season on Sunday, but not before enduring one of the strangest pregame injuries in recent history.

Quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. and cornerback Charvarius Ward were both injured during warmups before the team’s 27-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. This forced quick adjustments just minutes before kick off.

Richardson is serving as the backup to starter Daniel Jones. Richardson suffered an orbital fracture when a resistance band snapped and hit him in the eye. The team’s medical staff immediately transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was evaluated and ruled out for the game. Head coach Shane Steichen said after the win that Richardson is expected to miss time.

Later, Ward was taken off the field after colliding with tight-end Drew Ogletree during a routine drill. The Colts’ defensive back was later diagnosed with a concussion—his second of the year. Ward previously missed the week two matchup against Denver for the same reason.

Despite the chaos, Jones delivered another strong performance, completing 22 of 30 passes for 212 yards with two touchdowns, an interception, and a rushing score. The Colts’ defense held steady without Ward, limiting the Cardinals to field goals on two key drives in the second half.

With the victory and Jacksonville’s loss to Seattle, Indianapolis moved into first place in the AFC South. Ward’s status for next week remains uncertain, while Richardson’s recovery timeline will depend on further evaluation.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon refused to blame Thursday night’s loss on placekicker Chad Ryland, whose late kickoff penalty allowed the Seattle Seahawks to seal a last-second victory.

Gannon’s men found themselves down 14 points late in the fourth quarter. But two touchdowns in the final six minutes leveled the match for the Cardinals as the game looked destined for overtime.

However, with 28 seconds remaining, Ryland’s kickoff following the equalizing touchdown failed to surpass the 20-yard line. Due to new NFL rules, the Seahawks were awarded the ball at their 40-yard line with one timeout. After a 26-yard drive, Jason Myers drilled a 52-yard field goal to secure Seattle’s eighth straight victory against the Cardinals.

After the game, Gannon was quick to defend his placekicker and said the kickoff was meant to “keep it in play.”

“That’s one of the things we talked about, late in the game, with the amount of timeouts and time, what they needed, trying to burn off some time there,” he said. “Chad played his a– off. The game doesn’t come down to one play. We didn’t do enough collectively to win the game.”

Despite the late penalty, Ryland went 2 for 2 on field goal attempts during the game, which included a 57-yard conversion. He also scored both extra points during the late Cardinals rally.

Gannon’s team will look to avoid a third straight loss on Oct. 5 as the Cardinals host the Tennessee Titans at State Farm Stadium.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray apologized on Wednesday after posting a picture of himself posing with one of his bulldogs while wearing a Michael Vick retro jersey.

Murray deleted the post after receiving heavy backlash and later apologized in Wednesday’s press conference.

“In no way, shape or form do I condone animal cruelty or dog fighting,” the quarterback said. “I saw how it affected people, so I decided to take it down. So I apologize to anybody and whoever I affected.”

Vick spent 21 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to organizing a dogfighting ring in August 2007.

Prior to his time in prison, Vick spent six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. After his release, he rejoined the NFL by signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009. He played five seasons in Philadelphia before spending one-year stints with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. Vick retired in 2017 and is currently the head coach of Norfolk State.

Murray and the Cardinals improved to a 2-0 record after defeating the Carolina Panthers at home last Sunday. The 28-year-old quarterback threw for 220 yards and recorded one touchdown during the win. The Cardinals hit the road this weekend as they face division rivals San Francisco 49ers.

The Cardinals’ 2024 season was inconsistent, with the offense stalling at times and the defense struggling to stop teams throughout the year. They went 8-9 in head coach Jonathan Gannon‘s second season, but struggled despite having quarterback Kyler Murray healthy for the entire season after missing part of 2023 recovering from an ACL tear.

The team had a great season from rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who had 885 yards and eight touchdowns on the year. The offense continues to be a work in progress for the Cardinals, and the defense still needs to come together if they have hopes of making the playoffs next season.

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The Cardinals started their offseason by extending their tight end, Trey McBride, after his first 1,000-yard season with the team. The team also signed free agents like defensive end Josh Sweat, defensive end Dalvin Tomlinson, linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither, defensive tackle L.J. Collier, quarterback Jacoby Brissett and wide receiver Zay Jones. The only notable losses from the Cardinals were outside linebacker Julian Okwara and wide receiver Zach Pascal.

The Cardinals had the 16th overall pick in the NFL Draft, where they selected defensive tackle Walter Nolen out of Oregon. Nolen adds to their many additions to their defensive line, which was horrible against the run in 2024. The other big selections from the Cardinals were cornerback Will Johnson, defensive tackle Jordan Burch, linebacker Cody Simon, cornerback Denzel Burke and guard Hayden Conner.

The Cardinals’ defense will need to establish its new identity in 2025, along with the offense, if the team wants to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The Cardinals have the 27th most challenging schedule in the NFL, according to Fox Sports, and open their season against a rebuilding Saints team in New Orleans. The Cardinals’ most formidable opponents will likely come against their divisional rivals, the Rams, Seahawks, and 49ers, all of whom have improved this offseason. The Cardinals will also face tough games against the Packers, Texans, and Buccaneers, all of whom were playoff teams a season ago.

ARIZONA CARDINALS SCHEDULE & TICKET INFO

• Week 1: Sept. 7 at New Orleans Saints
• Week 2: Sept. 14 vs. Carolina Panthers
• Week 3: Sept. 21 at San Francisco 49ers
• Week 4: Sept. 25 vs. Seattle Seahawks (Thursday Night Football)
• Week 5: Oct. 5 vs. Tennessee Titans
• Week 6: Oct. 12 at Indianapolis Colts
• Week 7: Oct. 19 vs. Green Bay Packers
• Week 8: Bye Week
• Week 9: Nov. 3 at Dallas Cowboys (Monday Night Football)
• Week 10: Nov. 9 at Seattle Seahawks
• Week 11: Nov. 16 vs. San Francisco 49ers
• Week 12: Nov. 23 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
• Week 13: Nov. 30 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 14: Dec. 7 vs. Los Angeles Rams
• Week 15: Dec. 14 at Houston Texans
• Week 16: Dec. 21 vs. Atlanta Falcons
• Week 17: Dec. 27 or 28 at Cincinnati Bengals
• Week 18: Jan. 3 or 4 at Los Angeles Rams

Arizona Cardinals Season/Game Odds

The Cardinals start the season with +6000 odds of winning the Super Bowl and +2800 odds of winning the NFC championship—the Cardinals open week one as 5.5-point favorites against the Saints on the road in New Orleans.

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2023 was a year of firsts for coach Jonathan Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort as they completed their inaugural seasons as part of the Arizona Cardinals organization. The tandem oversaw a 4-13 campaign that considered them a bottom-three NFL team based on record.

This was the Redbirds’ second straight losing season after 2021’s wildcard season, going 4-13 in 2022.

Kyler Murray was injured with a torn ACL in December 2022, so Joshua Dobbs started until week nine, as he got traded to the Vikings concluding week eight’s game since Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending injury – Clayton Tune started week nine. Murray came back in week ten, leading the Cards to victory over the Falcons. Arizona’s three other wins came from 2023 playoff teams: the Eagles, Cowboys and Steelers.

Ossenfort made plenty of moves to add to Arizona’s rebuilding roster. Notable additions include Jonah Williams, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Bilal Nichols. Williams is set to be a starter on the offensive line following D.J. Humphries’ release while SMB plugs a hole in the secondary. Nichols and Justin Jones will boost the defensive tackle room since they are both impactful players who can get to the quarterback.

Marvin Harrison Jr. highlights the Cards’ 2024 draft class as the Redbirds had a huge need for a receiver and is a true outside threat who has a great release and is a threat running after the catch due to his speed. Arizona used an acquired pick from Houston to draft Mizzou’s Darius Robinson to complement Nichols and Jones on the defensive line. The rest of the draft saw the Cardinals fill out positions of need.

Based on the 2023 win percentage, Arizona has the NFL’s seventh least demanding schedule. All the games in the slate aren’t easy wins, however, the best chances for victories are week two’s game with the Rams at home, the Commanders, Patriots and Panthers. Other matchups will be tough, importantly the 49ers, Lions and Bills.

Expectations are low heading into 2024, however, the Cards hope to see progress in their rebuild dating to the end of 2022.

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Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman D.J. Humphries tore his ACL in Week 17 and has been placed on the Injured Reserve list. Though this will have a minimal impact on the 2023 season with one week remaining, the severity of the injury could keep Humphries sidelined in 2024 as well.

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters Wednesday that Humphries would miss the rest of the season and pointed out that it was a significant loss for the team.

“It’s a blow for anybody,” Gannon said. “For us as a team, he’s a captain, one of our premier players. It’s a part of the sport that is really hard. You guys know how I feel about the players and what they put into this, the sacrifices they make. Him being who he is, it’s tough to swallow.”

The offensive tackle exited the team’s Week 17 game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter after blocking for running back James Conner. The Cardinals went on to win the game.

Humphries, an eight-year veteran and 2021 Pro Bowler, has dealt with a litany of injuries throughout his college and professional careers as an offensive tackle. After signing his second three-year extension with the Cardinals in 2022, he missed the last month of the season with a back injury. Since getting drafted out of the University of Florida in 2015, he has only played three full seasons in the NFL.

ACL injuries are notoriously difficult to return from quickly, especially in the NFL, where players at every position require extraordinary mobility to compete. Because Humphries suffered this setback so late in the 2023 season, it’s possible that he could miss significant time in 2024 as well.

If Humphries is sidelined as long as some expect, the Cardinals will be without a captain and key quarterback protector as they attempt to rebuild after a forgettable 2023 season. Though the team exceeded expectations, due in part to subtly strong performances from the likes of Humphries, the team was never a serious playoff contender at any point.

The Arizona Cardinals released veteran tight end Zach Ertz on Thursday. The 33-year-old reportedly requested to be released so that he could sign with a championship contender.

In an odd wrinkle, retired defensive star J.J. Watt broke the news about Ertz on social media, joking that he was trying new things in retirement. Watt also reported Ertz’s intentions to sign elsewhere.

“TE Zach Ertz has requested & been granted his release from the Arizona Cardinals,” Watt said on X. “The 3-Time Pro Bowler plans to sign with a contender and make a run at his 2nd Super Bowl ring.”

Ertz was a longtime member of the Philadelphia Eagles and won a Super Bowl with the team in 2018. He was traded to the Cardinals in 2021 and continued to prove moderately productive. His 2022 season ended early due to a knee injury and he has missed significant time in 2023 as well after injuring his quadriceps.

Though Ertz would not likely be a starting tight end for any team making a Super Bowl run this year, he could still have something to offer at full health. It may not be a coincidence that Philadelphia, his old team, recently lost reliable starter Dallas Goedert to injury, though it isn’t the only potential destination for the three-time Pro-Bowler.

Though the Cardinals have not been as bad as some speculated before the season, the team has been mediocre nonetheless and will almost certainly miss the postseason. This, in addition to the rise of young Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, seems to be a factor in Ertz’s departure.

The Eagles are not the only top team to lose a tight end in recent weeks, as the Ravens also lost Mark Andrews several weeks ago on Thursday Night Football against the Bengals. The team is in contention for the top seed in the AFC and is considered a key contender in a wide-open playoff race.

Quarterback Kyler Murray is set to make his first start of the year when the Arizona Cardinals play against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Murray has not played since Week 14 of the 2022 season when he ended up tearing his ACL against the New England Patriots.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon said that he was “pleased” with where Murray is, but also said it would take some time for Murray to return to form.

“We got to be willing to understand that it might not look like Kyler. And I think he’s got a good expectation of that. The coaches have a good expectation of that, but I know this: He’s going to come out there and play his game and help us win,” Gannon said.

Gannon also praised his competitive nature as an overall plus for the team.

“It’s fun to be around him at practice,” the Cardinals coach said. “He’s ultra-competitive and wants to play football, but everything that he’s been doing up until this point to get himself ready to go both on and off the field, rehab, with the health stuff, with the mental stuff about playing quarterback, he’s far exceeded my expectations right now.”

Murray returned to practice on October 18 but will be added back to the 53-man roster on Wednesday, which would end his 21-day evaluation period.

If Murray isn’t 100% ready, rookie Clayton Tune will get the start. He will replace Josh Dobbs, who was traded to Minnesota at the deadline. 

The Cardinals will need Murray to step up, as their only win of the season came against the Dallas Cowboys during a 28-16 game. 

With Kyler Murray out until at least October as he recovers from knee surgery, the Cardinals will begin the season with either Joshua Dobbs or Clayton Tune under center. The team presumably knows which one will start but head coach Jonathan Gannon is keeping it to himself.

“Guys, I ain’t telling you anything,” Gannon told reporters Wednesday.

It has since been reported that Dobbs is likeliest to start, as he has in-game experience and is currently listed atop the depth chart. Tune, a rookie out of the University of Houston, would serve as his backup in this case. Until one of them steps on to the field, however, or the team confirms the starter in the meantime, these roles could easily be reversed.

Because neither quarterback is allowed to name themselves as the starter, both made statements which alluded to a potential start without divulging details. Tune spoke about his progress in the offseason and his willingness to assist the team as needed.

“I feel confident in my abilities and the progression that I’ve made through camp,” Tune said. “I’m confident in the guys around me to make plays and I feel good about it. “If I were to go in, I feel like I’d feel comfortable and feel ready to go.”

Dobbs, the former Tennessee Titans backup who briefly filled in for Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis last season, also said that he was ready and would maintain a patient approach as the season wears on.

“So, there’s plenty of time, man,” Dobbs said. “This is my life, football. So, we have plenty of time to lock in on the game plan, hone down those details, work out any kinks and nuances and get ready to play.”

With a low-profile quarterback battle set to go down to the wire, the Cardinals are almost unanimously projected to be the worst team in the NFL this season. A season after firing former head coach Kliff Kingsbury and losing Murray to injury and DeAndre Hopkins to free agency, Arizona simply doesn’t seem prepared to compete with most teams in the league.

In addition to not announcing the team’s Week 1 quarterback, Gannon also provided an update on Murray’s health at Wednesday’s press conference. He did not provide a timetable for his return.

“I’m not a doctor so the timetable and stuff, I don’t know about all of that,” Gannon said. “I know this: He progresses every day. He’s getting a little better every day. That’s not to say there’s not good days and bad days going through that type of injury because he definitely has those. He has been all in. … He’s progressing every day. Every day he makes a little jump in his health and that’s good to see because he’s made a lot of sacrifices since I’ve known him to get to the point he’s at right now.”

The former Arizona Cardinals wideout is headed to the AFC South, after linking up with the Titans after visiting Tennessee earlier this offseason. The five-time All-Pro, Pro Bowl receiver inked a two-year deal worth $26 million, as DeAndre Hopkins finally landed with a team.

According to NFL Media NFL Insider Jonathan Jones, the contract can be worth up to $32 million due to incentives, as it is expected to be finalized this week. Here is the breakdown above of what the incentives look like, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Last month, the Titans had Nuk Hopkins in town for a visit, even hosting him in a suite at Nissan Stadium for CMA Fest on June 11. D-Hop also visited New England and met with the Patriots before ultimately choosing Tennessee.

The 31-year-old was cut by the Cardinals after Arizona couldn’t find a trade partner to take on his contract back in May during and post-NFL Draft. In September 2020, Hopkins signed a two-year, $54.5 million extension to stay in Arizona, but with the Cardinals shifting management and coaches, it was clear Nuk’s time with the Cardinals was up but the decision of simply cutting him was surprising.

In May 2022, D-Hop was suspended for six games due to a PED violation. Despite that, the vet pass-catcher averaged 7.1 catches per game (fourth in NFL) and 79.7 receiving yards per game (10th in NFL) despite playing in just nine games on a 4-13 Cardinals team.

Former head coach Kliff Kingsbury was fired after the season Arizona had last year and former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon took over as the head coach. New general manager Monti Ossenfort took over for Steve Keim back in January as the new GM of the Cardinals.

The change in management was most likely a part of the decision of what to do with Nuk, along with whether or not he wanted to stay on a team that will have Kyler Murray out for a few weeks to start the season. Despite him aiming for a return in week one after suffering a torn ACL in December of last year, the star quarterback will likely be fully healthy around week four or five, since he had his surgery to repair it in January. D-Hop also didn’t leave Arizona on good terms, as he sat out the last two games despite being healthy enough to play on a losing team.

The Titans are getting a star pass-catcher a rookie like Will Levis or Malik Willis or veteran Ryan Tannehill could trust, but this isn’t the first time Tennessee had a big-name receiver. The year before, Julio Jones was shipped off from the Atlanta Falcons back in 2021, and the 34-year-old disappointed in Tennessee, dealing with more injuries till the Titans cut ties after the first year of the trade.

Due to injuries (hamstring and torn MCL) and the suspension, Hopkins has missed 15 out of 34 possible regular-season games over the past two years. Still, Nuk has the eighth-most receiving yards through a player’s first ten seasons in NFL history (11,298), and the fourth-most receptions (853).

The Titans, even if he is older and more prone to injury, are getting an alpha pass catcher in D-Hop. Their wide-receiving core is debatably the worst or near the bottom of the league, with second-year pass catchers Treylon Burks and Kyle Phillips, along with veterans Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and free agent signing Chris Moore. Last season, Tennessee didn’t have a prominent wide receiver after trading superstar A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles back in April 2022 and didn’t do anything to replace any of his production besides drafting Burks in the first round.

With just running back Derrick Henry toting the rock and carrying the offense, Tennessee’s scoring offense fell from No. 15 in the NFL to No. 28 last year. Last year, the Titans had what was statistically the third-worst offense in the league (296.8 yards of total offense per game), and the third-worst passing offense (171.4 passing yards per game) but hope with the addition of Hopkins, that changes for 2023.

Hopkins stated when he was a free agent that he was looking for three things when picking his new team and apparently with the Titans, it fits all his requirements. Despite not having an alpha wide receiver, Tennessee won seven games and was second in the AFC South, behind the nine-win Jacksonville Jaguars who made the playoffs.

Nuk does have familiarity with the head coach of the Titans, Mike Vrabel, as he was the defensive assistant for the Houston Texans when D-Hop was there for four seasons.

“I had a lot of interaction with him,” Hopkins told the Titans’ official website about Vrabel back in 2018. “He’s one of those guys you could talk to off the field, not just about football, but personal stuff. Vrabel was good to me. It wasn’t just a football relationship with him, it was a personal relationship. Guys could relate to him.”

Hopkins had high praise for Vrabel, as the NFL touchdown receiving leader back in 2017 mentioned this about his coach’s character:

“He’s a great guy. He’s not just a good coach, but he’s a good guy. He can relate to his players. The Titans are lucky to have him.”

Hopkins also worked with new Titans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, who served as a Texans offensive assistant for eight years, including three seasons as offensive coordinator. With Kelly as OC for one year, Hopkins caught 104 passes for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns during that season.

The Tennessee Titans are looking to be in the playoff mix again for the AFC, and adding Nuk certainly helps, even if the quarterback and offensive line positions are still question marks heading into the new season.

 DeAndre Hopkins could find himself on a new team soon.

Organizations in on the sweepstakes for the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver have been “ramping up” trade talks, reports NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1638180009067290624

If and when the deal does happen, it would likely come with a restructuring of Hopkins’ contract.

When the Dallas Cowboys traded for Brandin Cooks, it reportedly turned $8 million of his salary into a signing bonus to make him count $6 million against the cap.

Something similar could happen to Hopkins, who currently holds nearly a $30 million cap number with the Cardinals.

This offseason, the New England Patriots have been linked to Hopkins.

The Patriots have already added wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki in efforts to help out Mac Jones, who will enter his third NFL season.

However, the Patriots lost Jakobi Meyers, who was its leading wide receiver in 2022.

So a new tandem in Hopkins and Smith-Schuster could be a big boost for the team in 2022.

The Atlanta Falcons are another team reportedly interested.

The asking price for the 30-year-old has been a second-round pick and “something else of value,” according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

The past two seasons have been rough for Hopkins.

He has only appeared in a combined 19 games due to knee injuries and a PED suspension.

But when healthy, Hopkins has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.

In six of his 10 NFL seasons, Hopkins has hit the 1,000-yard plateau.

In 2018, Pro Football Focus named Hopkins as its offensive player of the year.

Hopkins in his carer has more than 11,000 yards receiving with 71 touchdown passes.

Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Sean Kugler has been fired after allegedly groping a woman while the team was preparing for its Monday Night Football game in Mexico City. Cardinals personnel received word of the incident from Mexican authorities on Monday, shortly before facing off against the San Francisco 49ers.

Though the Cardinals initially denied making any coaching changes on Tuesday, Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury later confirmed that the team had released Kugler on Monday morning. His termination is permanent. Details about the alleged incident itself are still unclear, but it reportedly occurred on Sunday, the day between the team’s arrival and the game.

“It’s challenging anytime you make a staff change in that type of manner and I’m just going to leave it at that,” Kingsbury said.

According to the Arizona Republic, assistant offensive line coach Brian Natkin and tight ends coach Steve Heiden are expected to fill in for Kugler and share his duties. Kugler joined the team as an offensive line coach in 2019 and has also served as the run game coordinator since 2021. Before Arizona, he also worked as an assistant coach for four different NFL teams between 2001 and 2018 and as the head coach of the University of Texas at El Paso college team from 2013 to 2017. He only had one winning season as head coach and was released for poor performance.

In May, former Cardinals running backs coach James Saxon was released after being charged on two counts of domestic battery.

Arizona currently has a 4-7 record and is third in the NFC West division behind the 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. In Mexico City, the team lost in a 38-10 rout to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL’s annual game in Mexico City, an effort the league reignited in 2016 in an effort to expand the reach of American football.

Marquise Brown has not played a single game for the Arizona Cardinals but has already made headlines after he was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with criminal speeding.

According to Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves, Brown was arrested at 7:05 a.m. on Wednesday and released later that evening after a hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court.

He was pulled over after he was found to be driving 126 m.p.h. in a 65 m.p.h. zone. In Arizona, criminal speeding is defined as any individual who drives 20 m.p.h. above the posted speed limit. It is classified as a misdemeanor in the state.

The Cardinals released a statement about the incident.

“We are aware of the situation regarding Hollywood Brown and have reported it to the NFL office as required,” the Cardinals said on Wednesday. “We will comment further as appropriate.”

Cardinals’ head coach Kliff Kingsbury said the receiver was traveling from his home to State Farm Stadium for practice, adding that it was an “unfortunate” incident and Brown knows he “can’t be doing that.”

“Obviously, he knows he’s got to be better than that and he will be moving forward. Just glad he’s safe and we’re still working through the details of it all but glad to have him back,” he said.`

Brown was acquired during this year’s NFL Draft from the Baltimore Ravens for the 18th overall pick. Brown was the college teammate of Cardinals’ franchise quarterback Kyler Murray and was brought in to help him become a more complete quarterback.

His offense will also be needed after All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins was found to have violated the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

Brown entered training camp on the PuP list, but Kingsbury hoped that Brown would be ready to practice by sometime next week.

“We’ll see,” Kingsbury said. “We had hoped maybe this weekend, but we’re going to be smart. When he’s back, I want him full speed and confident. Playing in a new system, you don’t want him thinking too much about anything physically. He’s going to have enough thinking going on, so I would guess maybe this weekend.”

Brown’s next court appearance is scheduled for August 23.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will reportedly skip offseason OTAs. This comes after reporting of Murray’s desire for a new contract with the team surfaced at the conclusion of the 2021-22 NFL Season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Last month, the Cardinals exercised the fifth-year option on their former number-one overall pick giving the front office more time to come up with a long-term deal for their franchise quarterback. Murray had previously unfollowed all Cardinals’ accounts on social media leading fans and the media to speculate regarding the QB’s happiness in Arizona.

Cardinals’ management has dispelled any rumors of moving Murray, with GM Steve Keim saying that there was “zero chance” that the Cards were willing to deal with Murray. “Nothing has changed in terms of him being our long-term and short-term quarterback,” Keim reiterated. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury also said he expects Murray to be in attendance at the mandatory team minicamp on June 14-16. Keim and Kingsbury were granted long-term extensions within their roles after guiding the Cardinals to their first playoff berth since 2015.

Murray, however, goes into his fourth season without a long-term deal. The 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year and two-time Pro Bowler has seen increasing success during his time in the NFL and comes off his most successful season leading Arizona to a 9-5 record as a starter. Meanwhile, Cardinals’ management has also helped put their quarterback in a position to be successful, acquiring Deandre Hopkins, Zach Ertz and recently Murray’s college teammate Marquise Brown via a trade. These moves along with the bolstering of their offensive line have given Murray the weapons he needs to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

No quarterback from the 2019 NFL Draft has been signed to a long-term extension, with the other notable first-round QB being New York Giants’ quarterback Daniel Jones, whose fifth-year option was declined. However, various third-year quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen received their deals during the summer, Keim noted on Mad Dog Sports Radio.

Murray himself has since refuted any speculation on his loyalty, tweeting in April, “I wanna win Super Bowls with the Cardinals, AZ is home.”

Following an absolutely brutal hit in the final game of the NFL’s Super Wild Card weekend, Cardinals safety Budda Baker was placed on a stretcher and carted off the field.

He’s said to have feeling in all extremities but did suffer a concussion after the hard collision with recently returned Rams running back Cam Akers. He was alert and communicating en route to the hospital.

The hit came in the third quarter of Monday night’s game, as Baker rushed in at the end of an 11-yard run by Akers to try and make a tackle.

The defensive back’s head connected with the running back’s shoulder, and Baker wasn’t moving immediately after the collision.

He rolled onto his back but was able to move his arms as he was carted off the field.

“Had feeling in everything, so he’s at the hospital being examined now, but seems to be positive news that I’ve got so far,” Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said.

As Baker was treated by medical personnel, both teams took a knee and looked shaken up.

He was second-team All-Pro this year and was voted to his fourth Pro Bowl. He appeared in all 17 games and recorded three interceptions, 98 tackles, and seven passes defensed.

Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford and star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. both (finally) recorded their first career playoff win Monday night as the Los Angeles Rams easily handled the Arizona Cardinals, 34-11, at SoFi Stadium to close out the NFL’s Super Wild Card weekend.

Stafford, of course, spent the first 12 years of his career with the Detroit Lions before landing in L.A. this season. He threw for 202 yards, two touchdowns and ran for another score in the rout.

Beckham signed with the Rams midway through this season after leaving the Cleveland Browns. He played the first five years of his career for the New York Giants, then 2.5 injury-plagued years in Cleveland. He caught his first career playoff touchdown and threw a 40-yard pass on a trick play. Rams receiver Cooper Kupp added a touchdown catch on 61 yards receiving.

L.A. jumped out to a 28-0 lead and never looked back. After the game, Rams head coach Sean McVay spoke volumes of Stafford.

“I thought he did a great job leading the way,” McVay said. “He’s still the same great player to me, and he always was before this game. I think it’s good so you guys don’t have to talk about that anymore. So pleased to be able to do this with him. He’s our leader out there, and we wouldn’t be here without him.”

L.A.’s offense was humming so well that the team’s stout defense was overshadowed. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray was under constant pressure and threw two interceptions, one of which was returned by Rams linebacker David Long for a three-yard score—the shortest pick-six in postseason history.

LB Von Miller notched six tackles and a sack in his first postseason appearance since winning MVP at Super Bowl 50 with Denver. Rams safety Eric Weddle played in his first game since coming out of retirement.

Murray completed 19 of 34 passes for 137 yards with two interceptions and a 40.9 passer rating. Afterwards, he called the performance “disappointing.”

“It’s disappointing that we didn’t make it a game and come out and play the football we know we’re capable of playing, that’s really the most disappointing part,” Murray said. “Losing is one thing, but when you don’t even make it competitive, it’s another thing.

“I put a lot on my shoulders, put a lot on myself and to dream of this moment and then be in the playoffs, the first game of the playoffs and then to play the way I did, to play the way we did, it’s—like I said—disappointing.”

The Cardinals were the last unbeaten team during the regular season and the first to record 10 wins.

The Rams will head to Florida to face the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The winner gets a spot in the NFC title game.

SoFi Stadium will be the site of Super Bowl LVI next month.