The Cardinals offense just didn’t fit in past seasons and Kyler Murray never acclimated to former offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s offense. On the same token, Petzing was never able to fully adjust and show the ability to build an effective offense around Murray’s skill set. The Cardinals were a source of explosive fantasy scoring once Murray was off the field, however, and their skill players are absolutely loaded with talent this season. We never really saw the Cardinals at full strength with McBride, Harrison, and Wilson all healthy and effective after Wilson had broken out and Brissett was under center. This year we should see that trio on the field together often, while also adding a game-changer in the backfield in Jeremiyah Love after having a pedestrian group back there in 2025.
Mike LaFleur is a young coach who is coming from a place where he learned from Sean McVay how to effectively scheme your best players the ball and get them in situations that fit their skill sets. Looking at the 2025 Rams and comparing them to the 2026 Cardinals, we should expect Trey McBride’s skillset to fill all the high volume underneath work that the Rams used Puka Nacua for and McBride will be used as a matchup nightmare all over the field. He will likely play in-line, in the slot, out wide, in the backfield, and being put in motion often. Harrison and Wilson provide defenses with a choice on the perimeter as both are above average talents who can make defenses pay when coverage is shaded away from them. Harrison should bounce back from last year and benefit from an improved scheme and less defensive attention. Wilson is a nightmare on in-breaking routes and will likely be asked to do a lot of the things Davante Adams did for the Rams last season. Finally, Love and Tyler Allgeier should complement each other extremely well. Allgeier can be a mix of himself in Bijan Robinson’s rookie year and Blake Corum last year with Los Angeles—a “1B” back who handles some of the pounding and gets seven to 15 touches per game depending on game script. The Cardinals should be far more balanced in 2026, which makes them more dynamic and explosive with a higher ceiling prior to defenses going “prevent” with big leads.
The bear case is just the start. Behind the free gate, you’ll find detailed player-by-player expectations for this entire offense — including draft strategy insights, format-specific advice, and key names being over- or undervalued at their current cost. It’s all free with an account.
