The Cardinals’ high hopes for 2022 never got off the ground.
The expectations for 2023 are decidedly lower.
Arizona is tied with the Houston Texans for the longest odds to win the 2024 Super Bowl, with each given a 100-to-1 shot by DraftKings.
The reason for pessimism is clear. The Cardinals are coming off a 4-13 campaign, fired coach Kliff Kingsbury and GM Steve Keim the day after the regular season and will start next year with quarterback Kyler Murray on the sideline due to a torn ACL.
Here are the five teams with the longest odds to win next year’s Super Bowl, as of January 24:
- Commanders +8000
- Bears +8000
- Seahawks +8000
- Texans +10000
- Cardinals +10000
It’s unclear whether veteran Colt McCoy or another quarterback will be under center to begin the year for Arizona, but without Murray on the field down the stretch the Cardinals were non-competitive in many contests. If he misses a significant chunk of the year, Arizona will be fighting an uphill battle to even remain in the playoff hunt.
Furthermore, star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins could be traded this offseason, as his odds of returning to Arizona next season opened at 50-to-1 are currently listed at 20-to-1 by DraftKings.
If Hopkins is dealt, it will signal a rebuilding campaign for the Cardinals, who have a new general manager in place in Monti Ossenfort and are currently in search of a head coach.
The one reason these odds may be a worth a flier, however: the continued pursuit of Sean Payton. It would be intriguing to see a Hall of Fame coach implement an offense designed to maximize Murray, and if the team can manage to tread water early on, it could get better as the year goes along.
The Cardinals will be playing a fourth-place schedule next season, which will be decidedly easier than what they faced in 2022.
Arizona did not get a single snap with wide receivers Hopkins, Hollywood Brown and Rondale Moore on the field together last season. With better injury luck and a better offensive scheme, a vastly improved offense is not entirely out of the question.
The Texans are going to be bad next year even if they find a quarterback who shows potential. The odds are the Cardinals are right there with them, but they are the better value play at 100-to-1 odds just in case they don’t decide to rebuild and get the talented Murray back earlier than projected.
