This article is part of our Team Previews series.
Arizona Cardinals 
With coach Kliff Kingsbury at the helm, the Cardinals have improved their record in each successive season, including an 11-6 finish last year. Coming off a brief showing in the playoffs, though, Kingsbury and Kyler Murray will be looking to take the next step in their partnership.
2022 Offseason Moves – Arizona Cardinals
Key Acquisitions
- Marquise Brown – WR (from Ravens)
After a draft-day trade, he stands to profit from DeAndre Hopkins' ban.
- Trey McBride – TE (Rd. 2, No. 55 – Colorado State)
The rookie tight end brings a pass-catching pedigree to the pro ranks.
- Keaontay Ingram – RB (Rd. 6, No. 201 – USC)
Beyond James Conner, the backfield has room for other contributors.
- Darrel Williams – RB (from Chiefs)
He has a chance to open the season as Conner's top backup.
Key Departures
- Christian Kirk – WR (to Jaguars)
Chased down big money from Jacksonville in free agency.
- Chase Edmonds – RB (to Dolphins)
The multi-faceted running back moved on to Miami.
- Jordan Hicks – LB (to Vikings)
His exit yields a starting spot to 2021 first-rounder Zaven Collins.
- Chandler Jones – LB (to Raiders)
Tough to replace after going for 10-plus sacks five times in Arizona.
Arizona Cardinals 2022 Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Kliff Kingsbury (Year 4)
Offensive Coordinator: None – Air Raid offense
Defensive Coordinator: Vance Joseph (Year 4) – 3-4 scheme
Stats to Know for the Arizona Cardinals
2022 Vegas Projected Wins: 9.5 (T-9th)
2021 Record: 11-6
2021 Points Scored: 449 (11th)
2021 Points Allowed: 366 (T-11th)
2021 Point Differential: +83 (12th)
2021 Run-Play Rate: 43.6 percent (12th)
2021 Offensive Snaps: 1,126 (8th)
2021 PFF O-Line Ranking: No. 15
2022 Arizona Cardinals Depth Chart
QB: Kyler Murray / Colt McCoy / Trace McSorley
RB: James Conner / Darrel Williams / Eno Benjamin / Keaontay Ingram / Jonathan Ward
WR1: DeAndre Hopkins
WR2: Marquise Brown / Rondale Moore / Greg Dortch / Andy Isabella
WR3: A.J. Green / Antoine Wesley
TE: Zach Ertz / Trey McBride / Maxx Williams / Stephen Anderson
O-Line: LT D.J. Humphries / LG Justin Pugh / C Rodney Hudson / RG Will Hernandez / RT Kelvin Beachum (RotoWire Rank: No. 26)
Kicker: Matt Prater
2022 Arizona Cardinals Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff (ET) |
| 1 | Sep 11 | Kansas City Chiefs | 4:25 PM |
| 2 | Sep 18 | @ Las Vegas Raiders | 4:25 PM |
| 3 | Sep 25 | Los Angeles Rams | 4:25 PM |
| 4 | Oct 2 | @ Carolina Panthers | 4:05 PM |
| 5 | Oct 9 | Philadelphia Eagles | 4:25 PM |
| 6 | Oct 16 | @ Seattle Seahawks | 4:05 PM |
| 7 | Oct 20 | New Orleans Saints | 8:15 PM |
| 8 | Oct 30 | @ Minnesota Vikings | 1:00 PM |
| 9 | Nov 6 | Seattle Seahawks | 4:05 PM |
| 10 | Nov 13 | @ Los Angeles Rams | 4:25 PM |
| 11 | Nov 21 | San Francisco 49ers | 8:15 PM |
| 12 | Nov 27 | Los Angeles Chargers | 4:05 PM |
| 13 | Bye | ||
| 14 | Dec 12 | New England Patriots | 8:15 PM |
| 15 | Dec 18 | @ Denver Broncos | 4:05 PM |
| 16 | Dec 25 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8:20 PM |
| 17 | Jan 1 | @ Atlanta Falcons | 1:00 PM |
| 18 | TBD | @ San Francisco 49ers | TBD |
Arizona Cardinals Storylines for 2022
What's Next for the Kingsbury-Murray Pairing?
Coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray hooked up for their initial forays at their respective positions during the 2019 offseason, but it took until 2021 for the Cardinals to put together more wins than losses. The operation was running on all cylinders during a 7-0 start to the season, including an average margin of victory of 15.9 points per game.
At that point, injuries to key players revealed pre-existing flaws in Arizona's setup, namely a dependence on DeAndre Hopkins. In the wake of a Week 8 loss to the Packers, both Hopkins and Murray sat out the team's next three outings, after which the wide receiver made just two more appearances before sustaining a season-ending torn MCL in Week 14.
Arizona's campaign ultimately came to an unceremonious end in the wild-card round against the Rams, the eventual Super Bowl champions, and Murray later expressed dissatisfaction with his contract, which eventually was addressed when the two sides reached an agreement on a five-year, $230.5 million extension just before training camp.
The path forward for Kingsbury and Murray won't include Hopkins for the first six games of 2022 due to him violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. As a result, the coach-QB duo will be put to the test to prove it can deliver without one of football's prime receiving talents.
Withstanding Hopkins' Absence
Prior to an injury-plagued 2021, DeAndre Hopkins could be counted on to produce as a high-volume option in a passing attack, whether it was in Houston or Arizona. In seven seasons from 2014 to 2020, his per-17-game marks equated to a 107-1,423-9 line on 10.2 targets per contest. On the other hand, he was TD-dependent (eight in 10 games) and earned double-digit targets only once last year. Now, the Cardinals will have to adapt sans Hopkins.
The front office, perhaps tipped off about Hopkins' potential lack of availability, dealt its 2022 first-round pick for Baltimore burner Marquise Brown on Day 1 of the draft. The move reunited Brown with college teammate Kyler Murray, who teamed up to fuel Oklahoma's No. 1 offense in terms of scoring and total offense in 2018.
Coming off the first 1,000-yard season of his career, Brown can play a number of wide receiver positions, but the circumstances surrounding Hopkins may result in Brown working the margins more often than not to begin the campaign.
Considering Arizona's pass-catching personnel, Brown and A.J. Green are the leading candidates to man the outside – with Antoine Wesley in reserve – while Zach Ertz, Rondale Moore, 2022 second-round tight end Trey McBride and Maxx Williams (when healthy) operate in the slot until Hopkins is back in the lineup.
Complementing the Passing Game
The Cardinals offense doesn't lack for big names at receiver, so it may come as a surprise that the unit has ended the past two years in the top 12 in run-play percentage. Having Kyler Murray's scrambling ability at its disposal helps matters, but Arizona boasted two running backs with at least 850 yards from scrimmage in both 2020 (Kenyan Drake and Chase Edmonds) and 2021 (James Conner and Edmonds).
After Drake left for Las Vegas last offseason and Edmonds headed to Miami this March, only Conner remains on the team. Through five campaigns with the Steelers and Cards, Conner has missed 3.2 games per season – two in 2021 – meaning there's a good chance he'll hit the sidelines this fall.
After Conner, Eno Benjamin, a 2020 seventh-round pick, is the most notable holdover, but his resume consists of 40 touches in nine contests. He's joined by free-agent pickup Darrel Williams and 2022 sixth-rounder Keaontay Ingram in the reserves.
Among that trio, Williams has the longest track record in the NFL – including 191 touches for the Chiefs last year – while Ingram enters the pros having posted 5.5 YPC and 89 catches in college. There's little doubt Conner will claim a majority share of the backfield work for Arizona this season, but Williams' experience could give him a leg up on Ingram and Benjamin for the second RB gig.
Fantasy Football Stock Watch
⬆️ Rising: WR Marquise Brown
Brown's move from Baltimore to Arizona should have a revitalizing impact. Not only does he again team up with Kyler Murray, Brown plugs into an offense in which DeAndre Hopkins is suspended to kick off the campaign.
⬇️ Falling: WR Rondale Moore
Taking the situation with Hopkins at face value, it should be a boon for Moore's playing time. Conversely, Moore has competition for slot reps in the form of Brown, nine-year vet Zach Ertz and rookie tight end Trey McBride.
😴 Sleeper: RB Darrel Williams
Coach Kliff Kingsbury's offense annually has room for two backs. James Conner is the unquestioned No. 1 option, but newcomer Williams may usurp Eno Benjamin and Keaontay Ingram for residual touches.
🌟 Pivotal Player: Kyler Murray
It was a tale of two seasons for Murray in 2021, stumbling from MVP frontrunner in the first half of the year to afterthought by Week 18. He has yet to reach 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns through the air in any of his three campaigns, but his running ability buoyed what he so far may have lacked in production as a passer.
For those interested in Arizona sports betting, Kyler Murray prop bets week after week during the NFL season are some of the most popular. Keep this in mind for his anytime TD scorer prop and more.
Arizona Cardinals Injury Report
RB James Conner
In his first season with the Cardinals in 2021, Conner finished third in the league with 18 total touchdowns, but the career campaign on that front wasn't without pratfalls. While he had to contend with Chase Edmonds for touches, he also missed Weeks 16 and 17 due to a heel injury before playing through a rib issue in Arizona's wild-card loss to the Rams. Conner hasn't had any reported health concerns this offseason, and Edmonds moved on as an unrestricted free agent, so the former yet again is poised to pace this backfield.
Prior to sustaining a season-ending knee injury Week 5 last year, Williams gathered in 16 of 17 targets for 193 yards and one TD. He underwent surgery on Oct. 24, but the nature of the issue (a torn ACL) wasn't revealed until just before training camp, when the team placed him on the PUP list. He thus is a question mark for the 2022 opener, but once he's cleared for game action, Williams will vie with nine-year pro Zach Ertz and high-profile rookie Trey McBride for snaps and targets at tight end.
During Arizona's ugly postseason defeat, Baker suffered a concussion on a low tackle of running back Cam Akers, remaining on the turf for multiple minutes before requiring a stretcher to get off the field. Fortunately, Baker avoided loss of feeling or movement in his extremities and was released from an L.A. area hospital one day later. His ability to take part in the entire offseason program indicates he's a good bet to achieve 100 tackles for the fourth time in five campaigns this fall, assuming good health.
Training Camp Battle 2022 – Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals offense sputtered without DeAndre Hopkins last season, averaging just 19.8 points per game during his eight absences as opposed to 30.2 per game when he was in the lineup. They now will have to withstand the aforementioned suspension of their top pass catcher for the first six contests of the upcoming campaign.
The addition of Marquise Brown should help, while wide receiver A.J. Green and tight end Zach Ertz will hold down regular roles, no matter the available personnel. Beyond that trio, though, it's anyone's guess how Kyler Murray parses out passes to the receiving corps.
Rondale Moore and Antoine Wesley picked up similar snap shares (45.9 and 44.2 percent, respectively) in the games in which they played in 2021, with the former more than doubling up the latter in receiving yards (435-208) and garnering exactly twice as many targets (64-32). Such usage makes Moore the leader in the clubhouse to serve as Arizona's No. 3 WR to kick off the year, but he still may have to compete for looks with highly touted rookie TE Trey McBride.
