About the Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals: Professional American Football Team in Phoenix Metropolitan Area

The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team competing in the National Football League (NFL). They are a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The team is based in the Phoenix metropolitan area and plays their home games at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, a suburb northwest of Phoenix.

Rich History: From Chicago to Arizona

The team was founded in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago. They became a charter member of the NFL on September 17, 1920. The Arizona Cardinals are the oldest continuously run professional football franchise in the United States. They are one of only two NFL charter member franchises still in operation since the league’s founding. The team moved to St. Louis in 1960 and then to Tempe, Arizona, in 1988 before finally settling in Glendale.

Notable Achievements and Championships

The Cardinals have a proud history and have won two NFL championships, both while they were based in Chicago. The first championship occurred in 1925, although there is controversy surrounding it. The team won their second championship in 1947, which was the first to be won in a championship game. They reached the title game again in 1948 but lost the rematch in a snowstorm in Philadelphia.

Recent Success and Playoff Appearances

In recent years, the team has experienced success and made several playoff appearances. The Cardinals have been to the playoffs eleven times and have won seven playoff games, including three during the 2008-09 NFL playoffs. In the 2008-09 season, they won the NFC Championship Game and played in Super Bowl XLIII, narrowly losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Strong Home Record and Division Titles

The Cardinals have a strong home record and have never lost a playoff game at home, boasting a 5-0 record. They have also won five division titles since their championship game appearances in 1947-48. Overall, the team has a total of six playoff appearances and three division titles in their 35 seasons since relocating to the Valley of the Sun in 1988.

arizona cardinals games

Statistics and Legacy

Throughout the team’s history, they have faced many losing seasons, resulting in the longest active championship drought in North American sports, spanning 75 consecutive seasons. The Cardinals have an all-time win-loss record of 588-800-41 and have been considered one of the most enduring franchises in football.

Arizona Cardinals Games Schedule

Arizona Cardinals GamesSchedule

History of the Arizona Cardinals

Inception and Early Years in Chicago

The history of the Arizona Cardinals dates back to 1898 when a neighborhood group formed the Morgan Athletic Club and began playing football on Chicago’s South Side. In 1901, the team, then known as the Racine Normals, acquired used jerseys from the University of Chicago. The jerseys, described as “Cardinal red” due to their faded maroon color, led to the team becoming the Racine Street Cardinals.

Joining the NFL and Becoming the Chicago Cardinals

In 1920, the Racine Cardinals became one of the charter members of the American Professional Football Association (APFA), which later evolved into the National Football League (NFL). Initially known as the Racine Cardinals, the team changed its name to the Chicago Cardinals in 1922 to prevent confusion with another team called the Horlick-Racine Legion, who had joined the league earlier.

The Chicago Cardinals continued to compete in the NFL and became one of the league’s early franchises.

Controversy and Success: The Chicago Cardinals’ NFL Championship in 1925

Awarded the Championship Amidst Controversy

In 1925, the Chicago Cardinals were awarded the NFL Championship, although the circumstances surrounding their victory were controversial. The Pottsville Maroons, who had beaten the Cardinals in a head-to-head game earlier in the season, were suspended by the league for playing in another team’s territory. As a result, the Maroons’ victory against the University of Notre Dame helped them finish the season with the same record as the Cardinals.

Rule-Breaking and Scandals

While the controversy surrounding the Pottsville Maroons played a role in the Cardinals’ championship win, the Cardinals themselves were not without their own rule-breaking actions. They scheduled two additional games against the Hammond Pros and the Milwaukee Badgers, both of which had already disbanded for the season. The game against the Badgers caused a scandal when the Badgers included four high school players on their roster, which was in violation of NFL rules.

Early Success on the Field

Despite the controversy surrounding their championship win, the Chicago Cardinals experienced some success during their first 26 seasons in the league. They demonstrated their prowess on the playing field, establishing themselves as a competitive team.

NFL Champions in 1947 and Financial Challenges

Championship Victory in 1947

In the post-World War II years, the Chicago Cardinals reached two consecutive NFL finals against the Philadelphia Eagles. They emerged victorious in 1947, securing the NFL Championship title just eight months after the death of their owner, Charles Bidwill. However, their success was short-lived as they faced defeat in the following year’s championship game.

Financial Struggles and Potential Relocation

During the late 1950s, the Cardinals faced financial difficulties, experiencing a series of poor seasons and losing fans to their crosstown rivals, the Chicago Bears. These challenges led to near bankruptcy for the franchise. In an effort to address these issues, owner Violet Bidwill Wolfner began exploring the possibility of relocating the team.

St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1987): Relocation and Mediocrity

Relocation to St. Louis

In 1960, due to the emergence of the rival American Football League (AFL), the NFL granted permission for the Cardinals to relocate to St. Louis, Missouri. The team adopted the name St. Louis Cardinals, but they were often referred to locally as the “Big Red,” the “Gridbirds,” or the “Football Cardinals” to avoid confusion with the city’s baseball team.

Lackluster Performance and Limited Playoff Appearances

During their 28-year tenure in St. Louis, the Cardinals made it to the playoffs only three times in 1974, 1975, and 1982. Unfortunately, they were unable to secure a victory or host a playoff game during any of those appearances. The team’s overall mediocrity, coupled with an aging stadium that was 21 years old at the time, resulted in dwindling game attendance.

Relocation to Arizona

As a result of the Cardinals’ lackluster performance and declining fan attendance, owner Bill Bidwill made the decision to relocate the team to Arizona. This marked the end of their era in St. Louis.

Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1988-present): A History of Ups and Downs

Relocation and Name Change

After the conclusion of the 1987 NFL season, the Cardinals’ owner, Bidwill, made a handshake deal with state and local officials to move the team to Phoenix. Thus, the franchise became the Phoenix Cardinals, although they never played within the city limits of Phoenix itself. Eventually, on March 17, 1994, the team changed its name to the Arizona Cardinals, reflecting its statewide fan base.

Playoff Success in the Late 1990s

In the 1998 NFL season, the Cardinals ended two long playoff droughts by qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in 16 years. They achieved their first postseason victory since 1947 by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 20-7 in the wild-card round.

Super Bowl Appearance and Continued Playoff Contention

In 2008, led by quarterback Kurt Warner, the Cardinals won the NFC Championship Game, earning their first-ever trip to the Super Bowl. However, they narrowly lost Super Bowl XLIII to the Pittsburgh Steelers, falling short 27-23 in the final seconds of the game.

Following their historic 2008 season, the Cardinals secured a 10-6 record in 2009, marking their first season with double-digit wins in Arizona. They clinched their second consecutive NFC West title but were eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints, in a 45-14 defeat in the divisional playoffs.

Mixed Results in Recent Years

The Cardinals next made the playoffs in 2014 as a wild card but were eliminated by the Carolina Panthers. In 2015, they had a franchise-best 13-3 record, secured their first-ever first-round playoff bye, and won their first playoff game for quarterback Carson Palmer. However, they faltered in the NFC Championship Game, losing to the Carolina Panthers 49-15.

Subsequently, the team experienced a string of mixed results, with varying records and missed playoff opportunities. They had a disappointing 3-13 season in 2018, tying their franchise record for the worst record in a 16-game season. However, they showed improvement in the following years, posting winning records in 2019 and 2020.

In 2021, the Cardinals returned to the postseason with an 11-6 record but were defeated in the Wild Card round by the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, the team struggled in 2022, finishing with a 4-13 record and missing the playoffs.

From 1947, the Arizona Cardinals sported a logo featuring a cardinal bird perched on the laces of a football. When the team relocated to Arizona in 1988, the flag of Arizona was added to their sleeves in the following year. In 1990, new coach Joe Bugel introduced red pants to match the white jerseys. He was inspired by his former employer, the Washington Redskins, who wore burgundy pants with their white jerseys.

The Cardinals participated in the NFL’s 75th-anniversary throwback uniform program in 1994, marking a significant change in their uniform. Their jerseys resembled those of the 1920s Chicago Cardinals, with an interlocking “CC” logo and three stripes on each sleeve. The uniform numbers were relocated to the right chest, and the pants were khaki-colored, replicating the clothing material used during that era. The Cardinals also removed their helmet logos during two games – the Cleveland match & the home game against Pittsburgh.

Previously, the cardinal head on the helmet also appeared on the sleeve of the white jersey from 1982 to 1995. However, in 1996, the team decided to raise the state flag of Arizona higher on the sleeve, replacing black with blue to match the predominant color of the state flag. In 2002, the Cardinals introduced all-red and all-white uniforms, which they continued to wear until 2004, right before the team’s makeover.

In 2005, the Arizona Cardinals implemented major changes to their uniform after almost a century. The cardinal-head logo was redesigned to present a sleeker and meaner appearance. The previous logo was criticized by fans, who mocked it as a “parakeet.” Black was reintroduced as an accent color, and trim lines were added to the outside shoulders, sleeves, and sides of both jerseys and pants. Both the red and white jerseys have the option of red or white pants.

In an effort to break a six-game losing streak, the Cardinals decided to switch things up and wore red pants for the first time on October 29, 2006, in a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Unfortunately, the Packers won the game with a score of 31-14, and the Cardinals went into their bye week with a 1-7 record. After the bye week, the Cardinals tried an all-red combination at home against the Dallas Cowboys but ended up losing that game as well, with a score of 27-10. As a result, the red pants were not worn for the rest of that season, and the team won four of their last seven games.

However, in the following season, in 2007, the Cardinals brought back the red pants for their final three home games. They also paired them with white jerseys for games on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks. In addition, they wore the all-red combination (red pants with red jerseys) for home games against the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, and St. Louis Rams. The red pants were not used at all in 2008 but made appearances in home games against Seattle, Minnesota, and St. Louis in 2009.

The combination of white jerseys at home during the first half of the season to force opponents to wear darker jerseys in the hot Arizona weather was a tradition followed by the Cardinals in their early years in Arizona. However, when the team moved to State Farm Stadium in 2006, the games were played with the roof closed, allowing for a comfortable temperature of 70°F (21°C) inside. As a result, the Cardinals started wearing red jerseys at home full-time. They wore white jerseys at home for the first time at State Farm Stadium on August 29, 2008, in a preseason game against the Denver Broncos.

In October 2009, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Cardinals joined the NFL’s initiative and incorporated pink accents into their uniforms. They found that the pink accents looked better with their white uniforms than with the red ones, leading them to wear white jerseys at home for the first time in a regular-season game against the Houston Texans on October 11, 2009.

From 1970 through 1983, and intermittently between 1989 and 2002, the Cardinals wore white jerseys when hosting the Dallas Cowboys in order to force the Cowboys to wear their “jinxed” blue jerseys. However, this tradition did not continue after moving to State Farm Stadium.

In 2010, the Cardinals introduced a new alternate black jersey. In 2017, they unveiled an all-black set for the NFL Color Rush program. While the regular black alternates had white lettering and were paired with white pants, the Color Rush alternates featured red lettering and black pants.

Before the 2023 season, the Cardinals revealed new uniforms. They decided to wear all-red uniforms at home and all-white uniforms on the road, with the alternate option of an all-black uniform. The red uniform featured the state name on the front, white numbers with silver trim, and silver sleeve stripes with the team name. The white uniform included red numbers with black trim, as well as red and silver stripes along the pants and sleeves. The black alternate uniform mirrored the design of the white uniform, featuring red numbers with silver trim and red and silver stripes.

The silver sleeve stripe also contained the team name. Additionally, the red and white uniforms are accompanied by white helmets with silver facemasks, while the black uniform is paired with black helmets and black facemasks.

Arizona Cardinals Seasons and Overall Records

List of Arizona Cardinals Seasons

Single-Season Records

Points Scored

• 489 (2015)

Passing

• Passing yards: 4,671 – Carson Palmer (2015)
• Passing touchdowns: 35 – Carson Palmer (2015)
• Passes completed: 401 – Kurt Warner (2008)
• Passes attempted: 598 – Kurt Warner (2008)
• Longest completed pass: 98 yards – Doug Russell (1932); Ogden Compton (1957); Jim Hart (1972)

Rushing

• Rushing yards: 1,605 – Ottis Anderson (1979)
• Rushing attempts: 337 – Edgerrin James (2006)
• Rushing touchdowns: 16 – David Johnson (2016)
• Rushing touchdowns (rookie): 10 – Tim Hightower (2008)
• Longest rushing attempt: 83 yards – John David Crow (1958)
• Rushing yards per game: 100.3 yards – Ottis Anderson (1979)

Receiving

• Receptions: 109 – Larry Fitzgerald (2015)
• Receiving yards: 1,598 – David Boston (2001)
• Receiving touchdowns: 15 – Sonny Randle (1960)

Returns

• Punt returns in a season: 44 – Vai Sikahema (1987)
• Longest punt return: 99 yards – Patrick Peterson (2011)
• Longest kickoff return: 108 yards – David Johnson (2015)

Kicking

• Field goals: 40 – Neil Rackers (2005)
• Points after touchdown (PAT)s converted: 53 – Pat Harder (1948)
• Punts: 112 – Dave Zastudil (2012)
• Punting yards: 5,209 – Dave Zastudil (2012)

Career Records (As of 2021)

Passing

• Passing yards: 34,639, Jim Hart (1966–1983)
• Passing touchdowns: 209, Jim Hart (1966–1983)

Rushing

• Rushing yards: 7,999, Ottis Anderson (1979–1986)
• Rushing touchdowns: 46, Ottis Anderson (1979–1986)

Receiving

• Receptions: 1,234, Larry Fitzgerald (2004–2020)
• Receiving yards: 15,545, Larry Fitzgerald (2004–2020)

Other

• Passes intercepted: 52, Larry Wilson (1960–1972)
• Field goals made: 282, Jim Bakken (1962–1978)
• Points: 1,380, Jim Bakken (1962–1978)
• Total touchdowns: 110, Larry Fitzgerald (2004–2020)
• Punt return average: 13.7, Charley Trippi (1947–1955)
• Kickoff return average: 28.5, Ollie Matson (1952, 1954–1958)
• Yards per punt average: 44.9, Jerry Norton (1959–1961)
• Sacks: 71.5, Chandler Jones (2016–2021)
• Tackles: 785, Eric Hill (1989–1997)