Cardinals vs Broncos
A season of historic lows: 3–14 record, nine-game losing streak, and a franchise record for most losses.
The 2025 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 106th in the National Football League (NFL), their 38th in Arizona, their 20th playing their homes games at State Farm Stadium, their third under general manager Monti Ossenfort, and their third and final under head coach Jonathan Gannon. Unable to improve on their 8–9 record from the previous season, the Cardinals missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season after a Week 13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and instead went 3–14, setting a franchise record for most losses in a season.
- Divisional Alignment
- AFC West (1974–2001)
- Current Status
- Inter-conference Rivalry
- Notable Era
- Late 1980s to Early 2000s
- Key Players Involved
- John Elway, Steve Largent, Kurt Warner, Terrell Davis
- Historical Context
- Shared divisional history spanning nearly three decades
Lore & Background
The Cardinals started out with a 2–0 record, but went a disastrous 1–14 the rest of the way, including a nine-game losing streak to end the season. Their .176 winning percentage was their worst since 1959 when they were based in Chicago. They also finished last place in the NFC West for the third time in four seasons. Gannon was fired by the Cardinals on January 5, one day following the conclusion of the season, ending his tenure with a 15–36 record through three seasons with a meager .294 winning percentage, which is the seventh-worst in NFL history by a coach who has coached at least 50 games.
In Their Own Story
The air inside the stadium was thick with anticipation as the sun began to dip over the desert horizon. On one side stood the Broncos, clad in their iconic orange and navy, led by a quarterback whose legacy was already being whispered about in hushed tones. Opposing them were the Cardinals, wearing the cardinal red that had traveled from Chicago to St. Louis and finally to Arizona, carrying the hopes of a fanbase eager for redemption. The whistle blew, marking not just another game, but another chapter in a thirty-year saga of divisional warfare.
Reader's Guide
The Cardinals had a four-year aggregate record of 19–49 (.279) from 2022 to 2025, the worst four-year stretch in franchise history since moving to Arizona. Michael Carter's 333 rushing yards were the lowest by a Cardinal rushing leader since John Grigas also led the team with 333 rushing yards in 1943 when they were, again, the Chicago Cardinals.
Did You Know?
- The Cardinals became the first team in NFL history to lose three consecutive games after leading by 7 or more points entering the fourth quarter.
- Tight end Trey McBride recorded 119 receptions in 2025, breaking the NFL single-season receptions record for a tight end.
- The Cardinals were swept by all three of their NFC West division rivals for an 0–6 division record, the second time in three seasons.
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