NFL Team by Team Guide: Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are the oldest continuously run professional football team in the U.S. The franchise was founded in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago. The Cardinals were one of the NFL’s charter members along with the Chicago Bears.
The franchise moved to St. Louis in 1960 where it remained through the 1987 season. The Cardinals moved to Tempe, Arizona, and became the Phoenix Cardinals. In 1994, the franchise was renamed the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals currently hold the longest active championship drought – 72 seasons – of all North American professional sports teams.
Cardinals’ regional games will appear on FOX Sports and CBS. From time to time, they will appear on national broadcasts such as Sunday Night Football or Monday Night Football. Fans can watch nearly the complete Cardinals schedule by using a live streaming service such as fuboTV, HULU, or Amazon Prime Video.
Home of the Cardinals
The Cardinals have had several homes including Wrigley Field and Soldier Field in Chicago and Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Upon moving to Arizona, the Cardinals first played in Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University. In 2006, the Cardinals moved into their current home, State Farm Stadium, located in Glendale, Arizona. The stadium seats 63,400 for home games and is expandable to 78,600.
Championship History
Despite being the longest continuously run franchise in NFL history, the Cardinals have only been to the NFL playoffs 10 times. The franchise has won seven division titles two of which (1947, 1948) came long before the merger of the AFL and NFL.
Arizona has won one conference title and that was in 2008. They lost in the Super Bowl to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cardinals do claim two NFL championships. They were won back in 1925 and 1947.
Best of the Cardinals
If one player epitomizes what it means to be a Cardinal, it is Pat Tillman. He was an undersized linebacker that was a longshot as a seventh-round draft pick of Arizona in 1998. Tillman became a starter at safety as a rookie and in 2000 earned All-Pro honors after recording 155 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, nine pass deflections, and one interception. He would leave Arizona after 9/11 to become an Army Ranger. He was killed in action.
Dan Dierdorf was named the NFL Players Association Offensive Lineman of the Year in three consecutive seasons from 1976 to 1978. He earned six trips to the Pro Bowl and was a five-time first-team All-Pro. Dierdorf played all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Cardinals and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. He became a broadcaster after his playing career.
Roger Wehrli is considered to be one of the great cornerbacks of all-time. He played his entire 14-year NFL career with the Cardinals after being selected in the first round of the 1969 NFL draft. Wehrli earned seven trips to the Pro Bowl and five first-team All-Pro honors. Wehrli finished his career with 40 interceptions and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.