Arizona Cardinals: The Latest Developments Shaping the 2025 Season

The 2025 NFL season is just around the corner, and the Arizona Cardinals are making all the moves—on the roster, on the sidelines, and with high hopes riding on emerging stars. From key injuries and strategic re-signings to offseason contract dynamics and preseason performances, here’s your comprehensive breakdown of the latest Cardinals news.

1. Opening Depth Chart Defined: Initial 53-Man Roster Set

The Cardinals finalized their initial 53-man roster this past week, signaling exactly who will be donning the Cardinal and White on opening day. Quarterback duties remain with Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett, while veteran James Conner and rookie Trey Benson bolster the running back group alongside Emari Demercado and Bam Knight.

On offense, the receiver room leans heavily on Marvin Harrison Jr. and Zay Jones, while Trey McBride anchors a tight end unit rich in experience. The offensive line features stalwarts like Paris Johnson Jr. and Jonah Williams, and defensively Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson lead a front seven designed to pressure opposing quarterbacks. The secondary adds depth across cornerback and safety, including veterans like Budda Baker.

In a surprise move, Bam Knight earned a roster spot after a standout preseason touchdown, while Michael Carter and DeeJay Dallas were cut—despite Carter’s previous elevation from the practice squad.

2. Practice Squad Moves: Retaining Promise and Potential

Immediately after trimming the roster to 53, the Cardinals moved swiftly to re-sign 13 players to their initial practice squad, a key step in ensuring developmental continuity.

The signings include:

Wide Receivers: Simi Fehoko, Andre Baccellia, Tejhaun Palmer

Running Back: Michael Carter

Tight End: Josiah Deguara

Linebacker: Elliott Brown

Offensive Linemen: Jeremiah Byers, Jake Curhan, Sincere Haynesworth, Nick Leverett

Defensive Linemen: Anthony Goodlow, Elijah Simmons

Cornerback: Darren Hall

QB remains limited to Murray and Brissett—for now, though the organization remains open to adding a third arm to the practice squad.

Head Coach Jonathan Gannon outlined the strategy behind practice-squad composition: balancing numerical needs, elevation possibilities, and developmental targets—with players like Simmons, Byers, and Brown fitting the profile of “not quite ready but worth fostering”.

3. High-Stakes Draft Pick Down: Walter Nolen on PUP, Out Weeks 1–4

The Cardinals’ high hopes took a chilling hit when first-round pick Walter Nolen was placed on the Reserve Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, meaning he will not be able to practice or play until after Week 4—and possibly longer.

While now eligible to return for practice in Week 5, the team must activate him within a 21-day window. In the meantime, his absence creates a significant vacuum on the defensive line. Also landing on PUP: BJ Ojulari and Bilal Nichols, both key rotational pieces.

This roster maneuver, coupled with the cut of long snapper Aaron Brewer to make room for IR-to-return transactions, underscores a period of high-stakes roster calculus for the Cards.

4. Offseason Moves: Coaching and Contract Updates

On February 12, 2025, the Cardinals revamped the coaching staff, adding:

• Alec Osborne as Defensive Quality Control Coach
• Winston DeLattiboudere III as Defensive Line Coach, both under Head Coach Jonathan Gannon.

• Veteran Budda Baker signed a lucrative three-year, $54 million contract extension in December 2024, including substantial guaranteed money—securing his presence through 2027 as a cornerstone of the secondary.
• Trey McBride, one of the league's most productive tight ends in 2024, signed a historic four-year, $76 million extension in April 2025—making him the highest-paid TE in NFL history at the time of the deal.
• Guard Will Hernandez inked a one-year contract on August 7, joining the Cardinals despite an active recovery from a torn ACL. He, too, lands on the PUP list, with Isaiah Adams and Evan Brown expected to fill immediate guard roles.

5. Offseason Hype: Training Camp, Defensive Reinforcements, Roster Excitement

Training camp buzz centered on Kyler Murray’s return to full health and his burgeoning connection with rookie standout Marvin Harrison Jr. Analysts are also pointing to the addition of edge rusher Josh Sweat as a potential catalyst for an upgraded pass rush unit.

Sportswriter takes highlight three underrated players who may quietly shape the season:

• James Conner: powerhouse RB returning with consistent multi-dimensional production after a 2024 breakout
• Calais Campbell: a veteran defensive lineman whose leadership and productivity still resonate in his second stint with the team
• Kitan Crawford: a seventh-round pick and special teams asset with athletic upside and defensive potential.

Furthermore, the Cardinals now slot among the NFL's top seven defenses entering the 2025–26 season, hailed for creative safety schemes, deep rotations, and improving front-line play.

6. 2025 Schedule, Ticket Buzz, and Fan Momentum

The 2025 regular season schedule is out! Among eight home games at State Farm Stadium:

• Seattle on Sept. 25
• 49ers on Nov. 16
• Rams on Dec. 7
• Packers on Oct. 19

Tickets are now available through major platforms like Vivid Seats, and Cardinals games will be featured across broadcast partners including Fox, NBC, ESPN, and streaming services.

Summary: Key Themes & Storylines

1. Roster Building in Flux: With the 53-man roster set, the practice squad shaping up, and high-profile players on PUP, the roster remains a dynamic puzzle ahead of Week 1.
2. Emerging Talent & Veterans: McBride's record-setting extension, Harrison Jr.’s early hype, and Campbell’s return bring balance between youth and experience.
3. Defensive Identity Forming: Despite injuries, the Cards' defense is getting recognition for creative scheming and potential impact—as highlighted in recent rankings.
4. Quarterback Pressure: Murray approaches 2025 under the weight of performance expectations, buddying up with Harrison Jr., and a massive contract that’s now under the microscope.
5. Fan Engagement Strong: With preseason success, marquee home games, and rising strengths, excitement is always building heading into a pivotal season.

Here's a condensed yet polished version you can use as the opening or headline segment of your post:

“As the Arizona Cardinals gear up for the 2025 NFL season, the team finalized its 53-man roster and launched the practice squad while grappling with key injuries, including first-round pick Walter Nolen’s PUP placement. Meanwhile, Trey McBride became the highest-paid tight end in NFL history, Budda Baker secured a long-term deal, and Marvin Harrison Jr. and James Conner emerged as offensive keystones. With defensive depth being ranked among the league’s top units and Kyler Murray at the helm, Arizona enters the season with both rising promise and high expectations.”