The Arizona Cardinals are staring down a daunting 2026 season, and oddsmakers aren't giving them much of a chance to turn things around.
After a disappointing 3-14 campaign, the Cardinals made significant roster moves this offseason. The most notable change was parting ways with quarterback Kyler Murray after seven inconsistent seasons. Key defensive players Calais Campbell and safety Jalen Thompson also departed in free agency, leaving big holes to fill.
But the team didn't sit idle. In the NFL draft, Arizona added explosive talent by selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love in the first round and Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the third round. Free agency brought in veteran guard Isaac Seumalo, quarterback Gardner Minshew, and running back Tyler Allgeier—all aiming to provide stability and depth.
So, has new head coach Mike LaFleur done enough to spark improvement? According to oddsmakers, the answer is a clear no.
When DraftKings released point spreads for Arizona's 2026 schedule, the Cardinals were listed as underdogs in every single game. Even more striking, they're double-digit underdogs in eight of those matchups. That's a tough pill to swallow for any fan base.
The primary culprit? The NFC West remains one of the NFL's toughest divisions. Both the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams reached the NFC Championship Game last season, while the San Francisco 49ers are perennially strong. Arizona has to face each of these rivals twice, plus the entire NFC East and AFC West—a brutal slate by any measure.
As Pro Football Talk notes, the Cardinals' most winnable games appear at the tail end of the season against the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, and Las Vegas Raiders. But there's a catch: by that point, Arizona might already be in "tank mode," positioning themselves for the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
History isn't on their side either. Since the NFL expanded to a 17-game schedule in 2021, no team has finished winless. But the list of 0-win teams in the Super Bowl era includes the 2017 Cleveland Browns (0-16), 2008 Detroit Lions (0-16), 1982 Indianapolis Colts (0-8-1 in a strike-shortened season), and the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14). Could the Cardinals be next?
For now, fans can only hope their new roster gels quickly—because the odds say they'll need a miracle to avoid a long season.