I was catching up with my roommate from this past semester on FaceTime, and per usual, sports were the cornerstone of our conversations. As we began talking about the NFL, a question came to my mind that I had never been able to ask someone: “Are you going to be rooting for your team to lose every single game?”
You see, he is an Arizona Cardinals fan, and next year’s draft has one of the highest anticipated prospects ever as it’s headliner: Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. Williams is the closest thing to Mahomes that we’ve seen since Mahomes entered the league. His sidearm passes, speed, and the sheer ability to extend plays makes him a player to tank a season for.
The Cardinals are currently ranked by ESPN as the worst team going into the 2023 season. Kyler Murray will miss most of the season with a torn ACL, key defensive players Byron Murphy and JJ Watt departed in the off season, and star wide-out DeAndre Hopkins was just released. The remaining team is arguably the worst in the league on both sides of the ball, leaving no hope for the new coaching staff lead by first year head coach Jonathan Gannon. Seems like a perfect situation to tank for a generational quarterback, but as a fan, can you really root for that?
I’m one to always root for a win until the final whistle sounds, but does this scenario force a decision to be made before the first whistle is blown? I mean, it’s not like the Cardinals have been kind to their fans in recent history either. Their best season in recent memory was 2021, where they started 7-0, only to finish 11-6 and lose in the wild card game. Not only that, but the Cardinals heavily overpaid Kyler Murray, giving him a boatload of guaranteed money, $46.1 million annually, and all he has done is underperform at every turn.
If the Cards are planning on tanking for Williams, they’d be forced to trade Murray to another team, and fast. Sports Illustrated wrote a great article breaking down how moving Murray would be costly for the Cardinals the longer they wait:
https://www.si.com/nfl/cardinals/analysis/arizona-cardinals-cost-trading-kyler-murray
There is a lot to unpack in this piece, but to keep it short, the Cardinals should trade Murray away before this next season starts if they truly plan on tanking. If they do, the cap hit they will incur will be significantly less than if they choose to part ways after the 2023 or 2024 season.
So I guess it’s a decision to be made by the organization. Who would’ve thought? If the Cardinals chose to keep Murray, he may return as soon as midway through their season. If they end up winning a couple games after he comes back, those wins could cost them the first overall pick and a shot at a bright future.
If they trade him away, they avoid major deadweight cap hits in the upcoming seasons, allowing them to add more players around Williams. Take the Houston Texans as an example. In this year’s draft they were able to land CJ Stroud at pick two and Will Anderson at pick three. Those two guys have the potential to be game breakers on their respective sides of the field, giving the Texans a great chance to turn their franchise around. The Cardinals could do the same thing next year and be right back in the mix in the NFC West. All they have to do is get rid of Kyler.
Now, back to the fan’s perspective. If I am a Cardinals fan and the organization decides to move away from Kyler before the start of the 2023 season, I am all in on tanking. In all other situations, I am too competitive and proud of my team to root for a loss when I’m unsure of how the season will finish. Then again, I’m a spoiled rotten Boston sports fan, so I’ve never been in a situation like this, and I’m not exactly sure what I’d do.
If any of you few and far between A2Z readers out there are Cardinals fans, sound off in the comments below!