TEMPE, Ariz. — Despite an upward trend of confidence in November and December, Jonathan Gannon will tell you the Arizona Cardinals' four-win season wasn't a successful one.
Knowing a patient approach to a new regime makes sense, Kyler Murray still didn't want to lose.
Those viewpoints from arguably the most important leaders within the franchise are legitimate reasons why the Cardinals organization — and fanbase — should feel confident about the team's ability to compete for a playoff spot next season.
The culture has been established.
"This team is one of my favorite teams to ever be a part of," Murray said following the Cardinals' 21-20 loss to the Seahawks to end the season. "Never any complaining, never pointing fingers or turning on each other. (We) just kept showing up to work every single day, fighting for each other, going hard, and on Sundays we left it all out there."
Murray, who returned midway through the season from a torn ACL, finished as the Cardinals' leader in passing yards (1,799) and touchdowns (10) despite playing in the same amount of games (8) as Josh Dobbs.
He also boosted Trey McBride's stock, helping the second-year tight end go from 31.9 receiving yards per game in Weeks 1-9 to 67.3 in the final eight games.
Rookie wide receiver Michael Wilson is hoping for a similar sophomore breakout. The third-round pick out of Stanford closed the season on a high note with six catches for 95 yards, but other than a two-touchdown performance in Week 4 against San Francisco, nine of his other 11 games resulted in three receptions or less.
"That kid knows what he's doing," Murray said. "I can tell. Next year I think Michael will have a big year."
Cardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort will be tasked to surround the current core of players with more talent, whether it's via free agency or the NFL Draft, where Arizona holds two first-round selections, highlighted by the No. 4 overall pick.
Murray was selected No. 1 overall in the 2019 Draft. Even though he was drafted in the Kliff Kingsbury era, Murray's current coach says he'll be the signal caller for the upcoming season, no matter what.
"With that guy playing quarterback for us, I know we can win every game," Gannon said. "He knows he's the franchise quarterback for us. He's a big-time leader of this team, but he knows he's the closest thing to me out there.
"I want him to operate a certain way, and he's gone above my expectation for what that looks like. I think he's only going to continue to get better."
"It's refreshing," Murray said. "Just to have guys upstairs that believe in it and really speak to it, and hold everybody accountable, it trickles down.
"There's a lot to look forward to. I'm excited about it and I know the guys are excited about it. (We) trust and believe in Monty and JG, what they got going and what they're building here.
"Complete 180. I'm happy. I'm happy about the position I'm in. Looking forward to next season."
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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