Gannon built Cardinals' toughness and culture in his first year. Now more talent is needed

Published Jan. 8, 2024 6:42 p.m. ET

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TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals just finished a 4-13 season, which is exactly the same record they had in 2022.

Yet there's little doubt they made some progress.

The Cardinals' first season under a new regime — coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort — ended on Sunday with a 21-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks after Cardinals kicker Matt Prater missed a 51-yard field goal on the final play. The game was a microcosm of Arizona's season: competitive and entertaining, but ultimately disappointing.

“We laid the standard out,” Gannon said. "Coaches coached it every day and they took to it. Obviously, the record isn’t what we want it to be and that falls on me, but the team-first mentality of the entire locker room never wavered and I feel really good about moving forward.”

Now the rebuilding begins in earnest.

Ossenfort will have two first-round picks, including the No. 4 overall selection, and 11 picks overall in April's draft. There's also a decent amount of cap space, and the Cardinals should be much more active on the free agent market.

Maybe most important, Arizona has buy-in from quarterback Kyler Murray. The 26-year-old — who signed a $230.5 million, five-year deal before the 2022 season — had a successful midseason return from a torn ACL in his right knee.

He finished with 1,799 yards passing, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions while also flashing the running ability that helped make him the No. 1 overall pick out of Oklahoma in 2019. The Cardinals were much more competitive when he played, finishing 3-5 in those games.

“It’s a complete 180 and I’m happy,” Murray said of the new coaching staff. "I’m happy the position that we’re in and I look forward to going into next season.”

CONNER HITS 1,000

A feel-good story for the Cardinals in their season finale was veteran James Conner surpassing 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his seven-year career.

The 28-year-old ran for a season-high 150 yards on Sunday against the Seahawks to finish with 1,040. He hit the mark despite missing four games in the middle of the season with a knee injury.

Conner is reaching an age when many running backs start to slow down, but he seems to be getting better.

“I’ll be able to play 17 games for many years to come, just because it’s all about recovery and nutrition,” Conner said. "I have a whole team of people. Chef, massage, everything that helps you. Twenty-nine isn’t old. I’m 28. I will be 29 in May. My best years are yet to come. I’m a big fan of (former NFL running back) Fred Taylor, he had 1,000 yards at 30. I’m dedicated, and Lord willing, I’ll be good.”

McBRIDE RISING

Second-year tight end Trey McBride was arguably the team's biggest surprise, growing from an interesting project into one of the team's most important playmakers.

The 6-foot-4, 246-pounder finished with 81 catches for 825 yards and three touchdowns, including one in Sunday's finale on an 8-yard reception in the back of the end zone in the fourth quarter.

It capped one of the most productive seasons for a tight end in franchise history.

“I took a little step this year and I want to take another step next, so continue to grow, continue to build relationships with these guys and just come back next year ready to rock and roll," McBride said. "I want to be a better leader and a better everything.”

OFFENSIVE LINE DECISIONS

The Cardinals got some bad news late in the season when they lost starting left tackle D.J. Humphries to an ACL tear in his left knee.

The 30-year-old Humphries has been a mainstay for the past several seasons, but changes could be coming. Humphries has a big contract and the timing of his injury means he'll likely be out for a decent chunk of 2024.

Rookie Paris Johnson Jr. had a great first season at right tackle. The No. 6 overall selection in last year's draft would seem like a candidate to move to the left side if the Cardinals decide to move on from Humphries.

“Paris is the real deal, he’s legit, he’s a good friend of mine and a great teammate,” offensive lineman Will Hernandez said. “His progressions were crazy. You wouldn’t think that from a top-10 pick, but even top-10 picks can improve a lot, and he did. He’s smart and he’s going to keep doing it, too. You guys haven’t seen all of Paris yet and all he can do.”

NEXT STEPS

Gannon and Ossenfort did a good job establishing the Cardinals' culture in Year 1. Now Arizona needs more talent.

The franchise needs help in several areas, but the most obvious spots are at receiver and on the defensive line.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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