102nd season in franchise history
The 2021 season is the Arizona Cardinals ' 102nd season in the National Football League , their 34th in Arizona and their third under head coach Kliff Kingsbury . They matched their 8–8 season from the previous year with a 31-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9, and will attempt to reach the postseason for the first time since 2015 . The Cardinals started 7–0 for the first time since 1974 when they were based in St. Louis.
In the offseason, cornerback Patrick Peterson was lost to free agency after 10 years, and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald chose not to sign with any team after 17 years with the franchise.[ 1]
Roster changes
Player re-signed by the Cardinals
Player not re-signed by the Cardinals
Signings
Trades
Draft
Notes
Staff
Front office Owner/chairman/president – Michael Bidwill
General manager – Monti Ossenfort
Assistant general manager – Dave Sears
Vice president of football operations & facilities – Matt Caracciolo
Director of pro personnel – Glen Fox
Assistant director of player personnel – Rob Kisiel
Assistant director of college scouting – Ryan Gold
Director of football administration – Matt Harriss Head coach Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches Special teams coaches Assistant special teams – Sam Sewell Support staff Assistant to the head coach – Brandon Schwab
Director, football strategy – Kenny Bell
Director, football performance – Shea Thompson
Coaching assistant – Jay Razzano Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Buddy Morris
Assistant strength and conditioning – Mark Naylor → Coaching staff Front office More NFL staffs
Current roster
Preseason
The Cardinals' preseason schedule was announced on May 12.[ 7]
Regular season
Schedule
The Cardinals' 2021 schedule was announced on May 12.[ 7]
Note: The state of Arizona lies entirely within the Mountain Time Zone ; however, Daylight saving time is only observed within the Navajo Nation .Pacific Daylight Time Notes
Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Networks and times from Weeks 13–18 are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling ; games not played on a Sunday (Weeks 14 and 16) are exempt.
Week 18 is subject to being flexed to Saturday, January 8.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Tennessee Titans
Game information
First quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 34-yard field goal, 9:26. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:05.
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 5-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 8:18. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 1 yards, 0:19. Second quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 17-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 11:03. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:32.
TEN – Ryan Tannehill 1-yard run (kick failed), 6:54. Cardinals 17–6. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:09.
ARI – Kyler Murray 2-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 1:49. Cardinals 24–6. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:06. Third quarter
TEN – A. J. Brown 13-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Michael Badgley kick), 12:59. Cardinals 24–13. Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 0:47.
ARI – Christian Kirk 26-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 10:45. Cardinals 31–13. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:15.
ARI – Christian Kirk 11-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 3:11. Cardinals 38–13. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 2:12. Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
MIN – Justin Jefferson 14-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (kick failed, wide right), 8:56. Vikings 20–7. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 5:18.
ARI – Kyler Murray 12-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 3:15. Vikings 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:41.
ARI – Rondale Moore 77-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 1:33. Cardinals 21–20. Drive: 1 play, 77 yards, 0:13.
MIN – Greg Joseph 52-yard field goal, 0:21. Vikings 23–21. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 1:12.
ARI – Matt Prater 62-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 24–23. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 0:21. Third quarter
MIN – Nick Vigil 36-yard interception return (Greg Joseph kick), 14:00. Vikings 30–24.
ARI – A. J. Green 9-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 9:11. Cardinals 31–30. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:49. Fourth quarter
MIN – Greg Joseph 52-yard field goal, 14:12. Vikings 33–31. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 4:17.
ARI – Matt Prater 27-yard field goal, 4:25. Cardinals 34–33. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 4:26.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 3: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 3: Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals 7
0
17 7 31
Jaguars
0
13
6 0 19
at TIAA Bank Field , Jacksonville, Florida
Date : September 26Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDT /10:00 a.m. MSTGame weather : Sunny, 80 °F (27 °C)Game attendance : 58,012Referee : Shawn Smith TV announcers (Fox) : Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib and Megan OliviRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 34-yard field goal, 7:38. Jaguars 13–10. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 4:47.
JAX – James Robinson 4-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 3:33. Jaguars 19–10. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:05.
ARI – James Conner 4-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 1:21. Jaguars 19–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:12.
ARI – Byron Murphy 29–yard interception return (Matt Prater kick), 0:24. Cardinals 24–19. Fourth quarter
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:49. Cardinals 31–19. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 6:52.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
The Cardinals earned their first 3–0 start since 2015 .
Week 4: at Los Angeles Rams
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
ARI – Maxx Williams 14-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 10:44. Cardinals 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:08.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 8:44. Cardinals 21–10. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:51.
LAR – Matt Gay 22-yard field goal, 3:22. Cardinals 21–13. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 3:19.
ARI – Matt Prater 23-yard field goal, 0:04. Cardinals 24–13. Drive: 17 plays, 70 yards, 3:18. Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 55-yard field goal, 10:15. Cardinals 27–13. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 4:45.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 1:14. Cardinals 34–13. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:09. Fourth quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 23-yard field goal, 3:38. Cardinals 37–13. Drive: 12 plays, 94 yards, 8:27.
LAR – Robert Woods 14-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 1:14. Cardinals 37–20. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:24.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
With the win, the Cardinals not only improved to 4–0 for the first time since 2012 , but earned their first victory over the Rams since Week 17 of the 2016 season. Also, with the Broncos, the Raiders, and the Panthers losing their first games of the season, the Cardinals became the last undefeated team in the NFL.
Week 5: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 5: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
49ers
0
0
7 3 10
Cardinals 7
3
0 7 17
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 21-yard field goal, 5:27. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 96 yards, 5:59. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 9-yard pass from Kyler Murray , (Matt Prater kick) 5:13. Cardinals 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 2:36.
SF – Joey Slye 47-yard field goal, 4:12. Cardinals 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 1:01.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 6: at Cleveland Browns
Week 6: Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals 7
16
7 7 37
Browns
0
14
0 0 14
at FirstEnergy Stadium , Cleveland, Ohio
Date : October 17Game time : 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. MSTGame weather : Cloudy, 58 °F (14 °C)Game attendance : 67,431Referee : Carl Cheffers TV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura OkminRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 13-yard pass from Kyler Murray, (Matt Prater kick), 14:49. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 4:41.
ARI – Matt Prater 36-yard field goal, 13:02. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:51.
ARI – Matt Prater 51-yard field goal, 9:24. Cardinals 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, -5 yards, 2:07.
CLE – Donovan Peoples-Jones 11-yard pass from Baker Mayfield , (Chase McLaughlin kick), 5:06. Cardinals 20–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:18.
ARI – Matt Prater 33-yard field goal, 0:43. Cardinals 23–7. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 4:23.
CLE – Donovan Peoples-Jones 57-yard pass from Baker Mayfield, (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:00. Cardinals 23–14. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 0:43. Third quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 9-yard pass from Kyler Murray, (Matt Prater kick), 2:56. Cardinals 30–14. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:30. Fourth quarter
ARI – A.J. Green 14-yard pass from Kyler Murray, (Matt Prater kick), 4:48. Cardinals 37–14. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 7:18.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 7: vs. Houston Texans
Week 7: Houston Texans at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Texans
2
3
0 0 5
Cardinals 0
17
7 7 31
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
HOU – Ka'imi Fairbairn 53-yard field goal, 14:55. Texans 5–0. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 3:03.
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 1-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 9:01. Cardinals 7–5. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:54.
ARI – Christian Kirk 5-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 2:45. Cardinals 14–5. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 2:58.
ARI – Matt Prater 31-yard field goal, 0:05. Cardinals 17–5. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 1:32. Third quarter
ARI – Zach Ertz 47-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 7:58. Cardinals 24–5. Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 3:33. Fourth quarter
ARI – James Conner 18-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 10:22. Cardinals 31–5. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:53.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
The Arizona Cardinals played the Houston Texans at home. This was the first game where former Texans DeAndre Hopkins and JJ Watt played against their former team, as well as tight end Zach Ertz's debut with the Cardinals.
Week 8: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 8: Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Packers 0
10
7 7 24
Cardinals
7
0
7 7 21
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
GB – Aaron Jones 2-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 12:54. Tied 7–7. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 8:23.
GB – Mason Crosby 21-yard field goal, 6:24. Packers 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:19. Third quarter
GB – Randall Cobb 2-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 11:37. Packers 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 2:16.
ARI – James Conner 2-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:22. Packers 17–14. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 5:15. Fourth quarter
GB – Randall Cobb 6-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 14:56. Packers 24–14. Drive: 12 plays, 91 yards, 6:26.
ARI – James Conner 9-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 10:45. Packers 24–21. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:11.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 22/37, 184 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Kyler Murray – 22/33, 274 yards, 2 INT Top rushers
GB – A. J. Dillon – 16 rushes, 78 yards
ARI – Chase Edmonds – 7 rushes, 30 yards, TD Top receivers
The Packers handed the Cardinals their first loss to deny them a perfect season with a 24–21 victory on Thursday Night Football . Kyler Murray had the ball with time winding down, and the ball in field goal range, but a pass intended for wide receiver A. J. Green was picked off in the endzone by Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas , who began the season on the Cardinals practice squad.
Week 9: at San Francisco 49ers
Week 9: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals 14
3
14 0 31
49ers
0
7
7 3 17
at Levi's Stadium , Santa Clara, California
Date : November 7Game time : 2:25 p.m. MST/1:25 p.m. PSTGame weather : Scattered clouds, 62 °F (17 °C)Game attendance : 59,012Referee : Brad Allen TV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura OkminRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
ARI – James Conner 13-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:08. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:21.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 0:39. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:59. Second quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 26-yard field goal, 4:02. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 14 plays, 85 yards, 8:23.
SF – George Kittle 6-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Robbie Gould kick), 0:16. Cardinals 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:46. Third quarter
ARI – James Conner 45-yard pass from Colt McCoy (Matt Prater kick), 13:33. Cardinals 24–7. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:27.
ARI – Eno Benjamin 21-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 8:05. Cardinals 31–7. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:47.
SF – Brandon Aiyuk 11-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Robbie Gould kick), 4:56. Cardinals 31–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:09. Fourth quarter
SF – Robbie Gould 26-yard field goal, 8:23. Cardinals 31–17. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 2:34.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Despite Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins not playing, the Cardinals dominated the game to sweep the season series for the first time since 2018. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 8–1 and tied their 8-win mark from the previous season.
Week 10: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 10: Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Panthers 17
6
8 3 34
Cardinals
0
0
3 7 10
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Game information
First quarter
CAR – Cam Newton 2-yard run (Zane Gonzalez kick), 11:12. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:22.
CAR – Robby Anderson 2-yard pass from Cam Newton (Zane Gonzalez kick), 8:39. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 41 yards, 1:12.
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 44-yard field goal, 1:00. Panthers 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 5:25. Second quarter
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 48-yard field goal, 9:40. Panthers 20–0. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:09.
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 49-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 23–0. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 3:16. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
ARI – James Conner 11-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 9:19. Panthers 31–10. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 4:33.
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 27-yard field goal, 3:26. Panthers 34–10. Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 5:53.
Top passers
CAR – P. J. Walker – 22/29, 167 yards, INT
ARI – Colt McCoy – 11/20, 107 yards, INT Top rushers
Top receivers
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 10 receptions, 66 yards
ARI – Christian Kirk – 7 receptions, 58 yards
Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 11: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cardinals
0
0
0 0 0
Seahawks
0
0
0 0 0
at Lumen Field , Seattle, Washington
Standings
Division
Conference
#
Team
Division
W
L
T
PCT
DIV
CONF
SOS
SOV
STK
Division winners
1[ a]
Green Bay Packers
North
13
4
0
.765
4–2
9–3
.479
.480
L1
2[ a]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
South
13
4
0
.765
4–2
8–4
.467
.443
W3
3[ b]
Dallas Cowboys
East
12
5
0
.706
6–0
10–2
.488
.431
W1
4[ b]
Los Angeles Rams
West
12
5
0
.706
3–3
8–4
.483
.409
L1
Wild cards
5
Arizona Cardinals
West
11
6
0
.647
4–2
7–5
.490
.492
L1
6
San Francisco 49ers
West
10
7
0
.588
2–4
7–5
.500
.438
W2
7[ c]
Philadelphia Eagles
East
9
8
0
.529
3–3
7–5
.469
.350
L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[ c]
New Orleans Saints
South
9
8
0
.529
4–2
7–5
.512
.516
W2
9
Minnesota Vikings
North
8
9
0
.471
4–2
6–6
.507
.434
W1
10[ d]
Washington Football Team
East
7
10
0
.412
2–4
6–6
.529
.420
W1
11[ d] [ e]
Seattle Seahawks
West
7
10
0
.412
3–3
4–8
.519
.424
W2
12[ d] [ e]
Atlanta Falcons
South
7
10
0
.412
2–4
4–8
.472
.315
L2
13
Chicago Bears
North
6
11
0
.353
2–4
4–8
.524
.373
L1
14
Carolina Panthers
South
5
12
0
.294
2–4
3–9
.509
.412
L7
15
New York Giants
East
4
13
0
.235
1–5
3–9
.536
.485
L6
16
Detroit Lions
North
3
13
1
.206
2–4
3–9
.528
.627
W1
Tiebreakers [ f]
^ a b Green Bay finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on conference record (9–3 vs. 8–4).
^ a b Dallas finished ahead of LA Rams based on conference record (10–2 vs. 8–4).
^ a b Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
^ a b c Washington finished ahead of Atlanta and Seattle based on head-to-head victories.
^ a b Seattle finished ahead of Atlanta based on win percentage in common games (4–2 vs. 3–3 against: San Francisco, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Washington, and Detroit).
^ 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.
References
^ Peters, Craig (March 22, 2021). "Vikings Altered Plans on the Fly to Land Patrick Peterson" . Vikings.com . ^ Urban, Darren (March 17, 2021). "Cardinals Make Trade For 3-Time Pro Bowl Center Rodney Hudson" . azcardinals.com . ^ "Vikings Acquire OL Mason Cole in Trade with Cardinals" . www.vikings.com. March 25, 2021.^ "Cardinals Make Trade For 3-Time Pro Bowl Center Rodney Hudson" . azcardinals.com . March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021 .^ Cox, Seth (March 20, 2020). "Arizona Cardinals officially announce trade for DeAndre Hopkins" . SBnation.com . Retrieved March 21, 2020 . ^ "Giants trade Markus Golden to Cardinals for 2021 draft pick" . Giants.com . Retrieved October 26, 2020 .^ a b Urban, Darren (May 12, 2021). "Cardinals Release Official 2021 Schedule" . Arizona Cardinals . Retrieved May 12, 2021 . ^ "New Orleans Saints cancel preseason game vs. Arizona Cardinals as Hurricane Ida looms" . ESPN.com .
External links
Franchise Stadiums Culture Lore Rivalries Division championships (7) Conference championships (1) League championships (2) Retired numbers Current league affiliations
Played in Chicago (1920–1959), St. Louis (1960–1987), and formerly the Phoenix Cardinals (1988–1993)
