Arizona Cardinals

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Lore & Background

The franchise dates to 1898, when a neighborhood group gathered to play on the South Side of Chicago, calling themselves the Morgan Athletic Club. Chicago painting and building contractor Chris O'Brien acquired the team, which he moved to Normal Field on Racine Avenue. The team was known as the Racine Normals until 1901, when O'Brien bought used jerseys from the University of Chicago. After he described the faded maroon clothing as 'Cardinal red', the team became the Racine Street Cardinals. Eventually in 1920, the team became a charter member of the American Professional Football Association (APFA), which was rechristened the National Football League (NFL) two years later. The team entered the league as the Racine Cardinals, but changed their name to the Chicago Cardinals in 1922 to avoid confusion with the Horlick-Racine Legion, who entered the league the same year. The Cardinals have won two NFL championships, both while the team was in Chicago. The first, in 1925, was disputed by supporters of the Pottsville Maroons. Their second, and the first to be won in a championship game, came in 1947, nearly two decades before the first Super Bowl. They returned to the title game to defend in 1948, but lost the rematch 7–0 in a snowstorm in Philadelphia. The team has since suffered many losing seasons and, as of 2025, has the longest active championship drought in North American sports at 78 seasons. The next longest drought is MLB's Cleveland Guardians, who last won the World Series in 1948; 1 year after the Cardinals won their last championship.

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Gannon’s second season came in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams, where Arizona won 41–10. However, the momentum stalled after the bye week with losses to Seattle and Minnesota. The season ended on a high note but a low record; a dominant 47–24 victory over the 49ers in the finale secured an 8–9 finish, marking the first time Arizona swept San Francisco since 2021. The narrative shifted violently in the 2025 season opener against the Tennessee Titans on October 5. Holding a 21–3 lead, the Cardinals collapsed to lose 21–22 after running back Emari Demercado fumbled in the endzone. Gannon was seen yelling at Demercado and appearing to throw a punch at his stomach. Although Gannon apologized privately and accepted a $100,000 fine from the franchise, the damage was done. The team finished 3–14, last in the division, leading to Gannon’s firing on January 5, 2026. He immediately returned to coaching, hired by the Green Bay Packers as defensive coordinator on February 2, 2026.

Reader's Guide

The team's all-time win–loss record (including regular season and playoff games) at the conclusion of the 2025 season was 603–836–41 (596–826–41 in the regular season, 7–10 in the playoffs). They have been to the playoffs 11 times and have won seven playoff games, including three in the 2008–09 NFL playoffs. During that season, they won their only NFC Championship Game since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, and reached Super Bowl XLIII, losing 27–23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team has won five division titles (1974, 1975, 2008, 2009, and 2015) since their 1947–48 NFL championship game appearances. The Cardinals are the only NFL team that has never lost a playoff game at home: their 5–0 record encompasses the 1947 NFL Championship Game, two games during the 2008–09 NFL playoffs, one during the 2009–10 playoffs, and one during the 2015–16 playoffs. In their 37 seasons since moving to Arizona in 1988, the Cardinals have a total of six playoff appearances, three division titles, and one NFC championship.

Did You Know?

• The Cardinals are the oldest continuously run professional football franchise in the United States.
• Along with the Chicago Bears, the Cardinals are the only NFL charter member franchises still in operation.
• The team moved to St. Louis in 1960, where it was commonly referred to as the 'Football Cardinals', the 'Gridbirds', or the 'Big Red' to avoid confusion with MLB's St. Louis Cardinals.
• Before the 1988 season, the team moved to Tempe, Arizona, and played home games at Sun Devil Stadium for 18 seasons.
• The Cardinals have never lost a playoff game at home, holding a 5–0 record.