2022 Arizona Cardinals season

Last updated

2022 Arizona Cardinals season
Owner Michael Bidwill
General manager Steve Keim
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury
Home field State Farm Stadium
Results
Record4–13
Division place4th NFC West
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers SS Budda Baker
Uniform
Arizona Cardinals Uniforms 2022.png

The 2022 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 103rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 35th in Arizona, and their fourth and final under head coach Kliff Kingsbury. They attempted to become the third straight team in NFL history to host and win the Super Bowl as that year's Super Bowl was held at State Farm Stadium. However, they failed to improve upon their 11–6 record from the previous year after a Week 11 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and missed the postseason after a Week 15 loss against the Denver Broncos. [1]

Contents

Key season-ending injuries to their starters and inconsistencies on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball ultimately led to a season-ending seven-game losing streak and a third consecutive late-season collapse, as they matched a franchise record of 13 losses in a season that was set in the 2000 and 2018 squads. To add to those struggles, they had also lost eight home games this season, surpassing the 2018 squad for the most home losses in franchise history, only having won a single home game since Week 8 of the previous season. The team was also plagued by drama before and during the season, which was seen by some observers as a reason for Arizona's dismal performance in 2022. [2] [3]

A day after the season ended, the team announced that neither head coach Kliff Kingsbury nor general manager Steve Keim (who held his position since 2013) would be returning the upcoming season. [4] This would also signal the end of an era for three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner J.J. Watt, as he officially announced his retirement following an overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Organizational drama

Following an 11–6 2021 season and a playoff appearance for the first time since 2015, the Arizona Cardinals hoped to become the third consecutive team to win a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Instead, Arizona experienced a disastrous and drama-plagued 2022 season.

During the offseason, quarterback Kyler Murray deleted all references towards the Cardinals organization from his social media accounts, which suggested that a rift was growing between him and the organization. [5] Despite this, Murray and the Cardinals agreed to a 5-year, $230.5 million extension in July, but the new contract contained a film study clause that required Murray to study film for four hours a week. Several observers intensely criticized the Cardinals organization for the inclusion of the clause, including Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, who perceived the clause as stereotypical towards black quarterbacks. In response to the criticism, the team removed the clause a week later. [6]

Throughout the season, the relationship between Murray and head coach Kliff Kingsbury deteriorated. For example, Murray and Kingsbury engaged in a heated sideline argument during a game against the New Orleans Saints. [7] Murray also criticized Kingsbury’s scheming and said that it was "kinda fucked" following a game against the Los Angeles Chargers. [8] These incidents and the offseason contract situation caused others, such as former Arizona All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson, to question Murray’s character, focus, and work ethic. [9] [10]

Murray was far from the only Cardinal to be a source of drama. For example, on May 2, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins got suspended for six games for failing a drug test. [11] Wide receiver Marquise Brown was arrested during the offseason for speeding. [12] Additionally, assistant coach Sean Kugler was fired by the team after he allegedly groped a woman in Mexico City before an international game against the San Francisco 49ers. [13]

The off-field noise and injuries to key players, including Murray, were too much to overcome for Arizona, who cratered to a ghastly 4–13 record. Before and during the season, several former Cardinals, including Peterson and running back Chase Edmonds, argued that the team culture under Kingsbury, general manager Steve Keim, and team owner Michael Bidwill was responsible for the team’s general lack of success in recent seasons. [14] Following the season, Kingsbury was fired and Keim stepped down due to health concerns. [4]

Draft

2022 Arizona Cardinals Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
1 23Traded to Baltimore [A]
255 Trey McBride TE Colorado State
387 Cameron Thomas DE San Diego State
100 Myjai Sanders DE Cincinnati 2020 Resolution JC-2A selection; from Baltimore [A]
4128Traded to Baltimore [B]
5166Traded to Philadelphia [C]
6201 Keaontay Ingram RB USC
215 Lecitus Smith OG Virginia Tech Compensatory pick
7244 Christian Matthew CB Valdosta State
256 Jesse Luketa LB Penn State Compensatory pick
257 Marquis Hayes OG Oklahoma Compensatory pick

Draft trades

  1. 1 2 The Cardinals traded a first-round selection (23rd overall) to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for WR Marquise Brown and a third-round selection (100th overall).
  2. The Cardinals traded a fourth-round selection (128th overall) and a 2021 fifth-round selection to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for 2021 fourth- and sixth-round selections.
  3. The Cardinals traded CB Tay Gowan and a fifth-round selection (166th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for TE Zach Ertz.
2022 Arizona Cardinals undrafted free agents
NamePositionCollegeRef.
Darrell Baker Jr. CB Georgia Southern [15]
Tae Daley DB Virginia Tech [16]
Jarrett Guarantano QB Washington State [17]
Changa Hodge WR Virginia Tech [15]
Manny Jones DE Colorado State
Kekaula Kaniho S Boise State
Jontre Kirklin WR LSU
Will Miles DE Central Michigan
JaVonta Payton WR Tennessee
Chris Pierce Jr. TE Vanderbilt
Ronnie Rivers RB Fresno State
Stephon Robinson Jr. WR Northwestern
LaRon Stokes DT Oklahoma
Chandler Wooten LB Auburn

Staff

2022 Arizona Cardinals staff

Front office

  • Owner/chairman/president – Michael Bidwill
  • General manager – Steve Keim
  • Vice president of player personnel – Quentin Harris
  • Vice president of pro personnel – Adrian Wilson
  • Vice president of football operations & facilities – Matt Caracciolo
  • Director of player personnel – Dru Grigson
  • Director of college scouting – Chris Culmer
  • Director of football administration – Matt Harriss
  • Senior personnel executive – Terry McDonough

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator – Vance Joseph
  • Defensive line – Matt Burke
  • Linebackers – Billy Davis
  • Outside linebackers – Charlie Bullen
  • Defensive backs – Marcus Robertson
  • Cornerbacks – Greg Williams
  • Defensive assistant – Ronald Booker
  • Defensive assistant – Rusty McKinney
  • Defensive quality control – Rob Grosso

Special teams coaches

  • Assistant special teams – Devin Fitzsimmons

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – Buddy Morris
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Mark Naylor


Final roster

2022 Arizona Cardinals roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
51 active, 18 reserve, 16 practice squad (+2 exempt)

Preseason

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1August 12at Cincinnati Bengals W 36–231–0 Paycor Stadium Recap
2August 21 Baltimore Ravens L 17–241–1 State Farm Stadium Recap
3August 27at Tennessee Titans L 23–261–2 Nissan Stadium Recap

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1 September 11 Kansas City Chiefs L 21–440–1 State Farm Stadium Recap
2 September 18at Las Vegas Raiders W 29–23 (OT)1–1 Allegiant Stadium Recap
3 September 25 Los Angeles Rams L 12–201–2 State Farm Stadium Recap
4 October 2at Carolina Panthers W 26–162–2 Bank of America Stadium Recap
5 October 9 Philadelphia Eagles L 17–202–3 State Farm Stadium Recap
6 October 16at Seattle Seahawks L 9–192–4 Lumen Field Recap
7 October 20 New Orleans Saints W 42–343–4 State Farm Stadium Recap
8 October 30at Minnesota Vikings L 26–343–5 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap
9 November 6 Seattle Seahawks L 21–313–6 State Farm Stadium Recap
10 November 13at Los Angeles Rams W 27–174–6 SoFi Stadium Recap
11 November 21 San Francisco 49ers L 10–384–7 Flag of Mexico.svg Estadio Azteca (Mexico City) Recap
12 November 27 Los Angeles Chargers L 24–254–8 State Farm Stadium Recap
13 Bye
14 December 12 New England Patriots L 13–274–9 State Farm Stadium Recap
15 December 18at Denver Broncos L 15–244–10 Empower Field at Mile High Recap
16 December 25 Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 16–19 (OT)4–11 State Farm Stadium Recap
17 January 1at Atlanta Falcons L 19–204–12 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
18 January 8at San Francisco 49ers L 13–384–13 Levi's Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 1: Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Chiefs14914744
Cardinals0701421

at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Game information

The Cardinals were quickly overwhelmed by a high-powered Chiefs defense, finding themselves down 7–37 at the end of the third quarter. A late rally attempt fell well short, and Arizona was handed an 0–1 start for the first time since 2018.

Week 2: at Las Vegas Raiders

Week 2: Arizona Cardinals at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary
Quarter1234OTTotal
Cardinals00716629
Raiders71330023

at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada

Game information

After trailing 7–23 at the end of the third quarter, the Cardinals came back to force overtime. A fumble recovery led to a Cardinals touchdown. With the win, they improved to 1–1.

Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Week 3: Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Rams1037020
Cardinals063312

at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

  • Date: September 25
  • Game time: 1:25 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 63,243
  • Referee: Adrian Hill
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

With 1:07 left, Matt Prater attempted an onside kick, but failed. With the loss, the Cardinals dropped to 1–2.

Week 4: at Carolina Panthers

Week 4: Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cardinals0371626
Panthers0100616

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

After stopping a Panthers' comeback, the Cardinals won the game 26–16. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 2–2.

Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Eagles773320
Cardinals0100717

at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Game information

Not only did the Cardinals lose to the Eagles at home for the first time since 2001, but they also lost their eighth consecutive game at State Farm Stadium. A missed field goal with 0:22 left sealed the loss for the Cardinals.

Week 6: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 6: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cardinals30609
Seahawks363719

at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

  • Date: October 16
  • Game time: 1:05 p.m. MST & PDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 68,867
  • Referee: Shawn Hochuli
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 7: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 7: New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Saints7731734
Cardinals3257742

at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Game information

This would be the first time the Arizona Cardinals scored more than 40 points in a game since January 1, 2017 at the LA Rams ( 44–7 )

Week 8: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 8: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cardinals3713326
Vikings7714634

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: October 30
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT/10:00 a.m. MST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 66,742
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 9: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 9: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Seahawks3771431
Cardinals707721

at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Game information

Week 10: at Los Angeles Rams

Week 10: Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cardinals31401027
Rams307717

at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

  • Date: November 13
  • Game time: 2:25 p.m. MST/1:25 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 68 °F (20 °C)
  • Game attendance: 71,752
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 11: vs. San Francisco 49ers

NFL Mexico City games

Week 11: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
49ers01714738
Cardinals370010

at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico

Game information

Week 12: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Week 12: Los Angeles Chargers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Chargers0143825
Cardinals7100724

at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Game information

Week 14: vs. New England Patriots

Week 14: New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Patriots01010727
Cardinals0130013

at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

  • Date: December 12
  • Game time: 6:15 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 63,251
  • Referee: Shawn Smith
  • TV announcers (KPHO/ESPN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

With the loss the Cardinals dropped to 4-9.

Week 15: at Denver Broncos

Week 15: Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cardinals063615
Broncos3071424

at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

  • Date: December 18
  • Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: Parly cloudy, 39 °F (4 °C)
  • Game attendance: 75,179
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

With the loss the Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention and dropped to 4-10.

Week 16: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Christmas Day games

Week 16: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter1234OTTotal
Buccaneers33010319
Cardinals33010016

at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Game information

Week 17: at Atlanta Falcons

Week 17: Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cardinals3103319
Falcons0140620

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: January 1
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 69,269
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (Fox): Jason Benetti, Brady Quinn and Megan Olivi
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 18: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 18: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cardinals670013
49ers71417038

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

  • Date: January 8
  • Game time: 1:25 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 60 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 71,638
  • Referee: Adrian Hill
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Standings

Division

NFC West
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(2) San Francisco 49ers 1340.7656–010–2450277W10
(7) Seattle Seahawks 980.5294–26–6407401W2
Los Angeles Rams 5120.2941–53–9307384L2
Arizona Cardinals 4130.2351–53–9340449L7

Conference

#TeamDivisionWLTPCTDIVCONFSOSSOVSTK
Division leaders
1 Philadelphia Eagles East1430.8244–29–3.474.460W1
2 [a] San Francisco 49ers West1340.7656–010–2.417.414W10
3 [a] Minnesota Vikings North1340.7654–28–4.474.425W1
4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South890.4714–28–4.503.426L1
Wild cards
5 Dallas Cowboys East1250.7064–28–4.507.485L1
6 New York Giants East971.5591–4–14–7–1.526.395L1
7 [b] Seattle Seahawks West980.5294–26–6.462.382W2
Did not qualify for the postseason
8 [b] Detroit Lions North980.5295–17–5.535.451W2
9 Washington Commanders East881.5002–3–15–6–1.536.449W1
10 Green Bay Packers North890.4713–36–6.524.449L1
11 [c] Carolina Panthers South7100.4124–26–6.474.437W1
12 [c] [d] New Orleans Saints South7100.4122–45–7.507.462L1
13 [c] [d] Atlanta Falcons South7100.4122–46–6.467.429W2
14 Los Angeles Rams West5120.2941–53–9.517.341L2
15 Arizona Cardinals West4130.2351–53–9.529.368L7
16 Chicago Bears North3140.1760–61–11.571.480L10
Tiebreakers [e]
  1. 1 2 San Francisco claimed the No. 2 seed over Minnesota based on conference record (10–2 vs. 8–4).
  2. 1 2 Seattle finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot.
  3. 1 2 3 Carolina finished ahead of New Orleans and Atlanta based on head-to-head record (3–1 vs. 2–2/1–3).
  4. 1 2 New Orleans finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head sweep.
  5. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

See also

References

  1. "Cardinals eliminated from playoffs after losing to Broncos". FOX 10 - Phoenix. Associated Press. December 20, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  2. "Arizona Cardinals' 2022 season one of NFL's most dysfunctional ever". Arizona Sports. December 15, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  3. "Somers: Arizona Cardinals nearing end of their most bizarre season in the desert". azcentral. December 23, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Urban, Darren (January 9, 2023). "Cardinals Relieve Kliff Kingsbury Of Coaching Duties, Steve Keim Steps Down". azcardinals.com. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  5. "Kyler Murray unfollows Cardinals on social media, deletes all franchise-related pictures on Instagram". CBS Sports. February 7, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  6. "Warren Moon calls Kyler Murray's film study clause a 'slap in the face' to Black quarterbacks". USA Today. July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  7. "Kyler Murray on argument with Kliff Kingsbury during Saints-Cardinals: I was just telling him to 'chill out'". CBS Sports. October 21, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  8. ""Schematically, We Were Kind Of Fucked." Kyler Murray Gives Honest Take On Kliff Kingsbury's 4th Down Call". Barstool Sports. November 27, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  9. "Kyler Murray's Cardinals teammates confident in QB's work ethic, knowledge for game". NFL.com. July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  10. "Patrick Peterson Has No 'Beef' With Kyler Murray Despite Criticizing Him". Sports Illustrated. December 1, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  11. "NFL suspends Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins six games for violating PED policy". NFL.com. May 2, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  12. "Arizona Cardinals' 2022 season one of NFL's most dysfunctional ever". Arizona Sports. December 15, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  13. "Cardinals assistant coach Sean Kugler fired for groping woman, sources say". ESPN. November 23, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  14. "Former Arizona Cardinals slam team's culture amid Kyler Murray contract situation, drama". azcentral. April 20, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Cardinals Agree To Terms With 12 Undrafted Rookies". azcardinals.com. Arizona Cardinals. May 2, 2022.
  16. Cox, Seth (May 17, 2022). "Arizona Cardinals bring in safety Tae Daley after rookie mini-camp". revengeofthebirds.com.
  17. Urban, Darren (May 16, 2022). "Cardinals Sign QB Jarrett Guarantano After Rookie Tryout". AZCardinals.com.