The Cardinals defense just got a whole lot better – as the team has come to terms with former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt.
The #AZCardinals are giving JJ Watt a 2-year deal worth $31M with $23M guaranteed, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 1, 2021
Watt himself finally put the speculation to bed when he tweeted out a pic of him working out in a Cardinals t-shirt.
source: me. pic.twitter.com/1Y6okQBUy5
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 1, 2021
Cardinals linebacker Hasson Reddick was a one-man wrecking crew Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, setting a new record for sacks in the Cards 26-7 win over the Giants.
Reddick set the Cardinals franchise mark with five sacks and three forced fumbles, all of which came on sacks against New York.
“Right now I’m just processing it, I’m just taking it in. I cried at the end of the game, filled with joy, felt blessed,” Reddick said.
“This whole year has just been important to me, to see things going in the way that I want them to (be) going.”
Haason Reddick has 5 sacks vs the Giants today! 10 on the season, no option allows him to hit the market in the off-season.
A pleasant surprise for the Cardinals defense. #RedSea
— Damian Parson ? (@DP_NFL) December 13, 2020
Reddick’s mark passed Curtis Greer’s 4.5 sacks set in 1983 against the Eagles.
The fourth-year pro might as well make room for the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award for his outing, and the Cards should think seriously about making sure to keep him around as in his fourth season it seems he is ready to be a star.
If it’s anything like the first battle, Thursday evening’s matchup between the Seahawks and Cardinals should be a classic for all to see.
The Cards won the first game in stunning fashion in overtime, knocking the Hawks at the time off the ranks of the undefeated.
Seattle, now at home, will be looking for revenge as they come in at 6-3, the same mark as the Cardinals, who are coming off a huge last play win over the Bills Sunday 32-30.
Here’s a preview of the game from NFL.com.
The Cardinals will be without defensive tackle Corey Peters for the rest of the season as he is out due to a knee injury.
The 32-year-old went down before halftime of the Cards 32-30 win over the Bills on Sunday at home.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury said after the game that the injury looked serious as Peters was carted off the field.
Kingsbury confirmed on Wednesday that Peters would miss the final seven games of the regular season.
The 10-year veteran has been with the Cardinals for five years and started all nine games this season. He had 15 tackles, including three for a loss.
”Defensive line-wise, we’re a little bit banged up there,” Kingsbury said. ”But we’ll have enough guys to play and that’s all you can ask for. (Peters is) a tough loss like I mentioned the other day because of his leadership and what he brings to the locker room.”
Kingsbury didn’t elaborate on Peters’ injury. The NFL Network said Peters suffered a torn patellar tendon.
The Cardinals will head East this Sunday as they take on Sam Darnold and the winless New York Jets.
Arizona enters the game Sunday at 2-2, while the Jets are 0-4.
Patrick Peterson? is scheduled to reach free agency after the season as he goes into the final year of his contract, but as he said over the summer, the veteran cornerback emphasized Thursday he isn’t upset with the situation, Darren Urban of Azcardinals.com reports.
“I’m at peace (with the contract),” Peterson said. “There’s nothing I can do about it. I’m under contract until the end of the season. All I can do right now is play ball. The ball is in my court. All I have to do is go out and play P2 football, playing all-around solid football, taking No. 1s out of the game, not giving up any touchdowns, just getting back to that form.”
Peterson acknowledged his intensity has increased heading into the season, following a year in which he was suspended six games for violating the NFL’s rule on performance-enhancing drugs and struggling for a few games upon his return.
“I’m just extremely focused in getting back to where I belong and where I am accustomed to being, and that’s on top of the game,” Peterson said. “I had a little boo-boo last year, that’s behind me now, and now I’m just extremely focused on the future. I believe there are a lot of great things in store for this defense and myself.
“You hear the chatter. You hear what people are saying. Being a wily vet, a seasoned vet, it goes in one ear and out the other. But for sure, I love proving people wrong. This is going to be a big year for me. I feel like my back is against the wall. That’s when I operate at my best.”
As for his contract, he said he has not had any talks with the team about an extension, but said it doesn’t bother him that teammates Budda Baker and DeAndre Hopkins have gotten deals.
“I can’t worry about anybody else’s pockets,” Peterson said. “Budda and DeAndre definitely got what they deserved. It’s all about timing. I’ve been in this game before, I’ve been in contract negotiations before, it’s not my first go-round. I’m lucky and blessed enough to be in my third go-round seeking a contract. it’s all about timing. With me, all I can worry about is P2. That’s my entity, that’s my company. All I can do is worry about me, and when the time matches up perfectly, we can sit down and talk about some things.”
The NFC West has been one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL in recent seasons, and that seems unlikely to change in 2020.
The San Francisco 49ers are coming off an appearance in the Super Bowl and appear locked and loaded to make a run at a repeat of their NFC title. The Seattle Seahawks are a perennial contender under Russell Wilson. The Los Angeles Rams are just two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance of their own while the Arizona Cardinals enjoyed an excellent offseason and are a popular pick to make a leap forward.
The Super Bowl loser is notorious for having a down season the following year, which is what the market is predicting with the extra juice on the under 10.5 wins for the 49ers. That would be at least three more losses than they had in the regular season last year. I would disagree with that and make San Francisco being solid favorites again.
Despite a poor showing in the Super Bowl, Jimmy Garoppolo is always a quarterback I have believed in. He was much better than people gave him credit for last year completing nearly 70% of his passes at 8.3 yards per attempt. George Kittle should be relied upon more than ever in the passing game with Deebo Samuel starting the season hurt, Emmanuel Sanders in New Orleans and Brandon Aiyuk adjusting to the NFL game.
Shannahan’s lethal zone rushing attack with have a three-headed monster to work with in Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman and Jerrick McKinnon. Trent Williams was the prized offseason addition at left tackle.
Despite losing DeForest Bucker on defense, San Francisco should be just as scary on that side of the ball with first-round pick Javon Kinlaw taking his place. The pass rushing trip of Nick Bsa, Arik Armstead and Dee Ford is still as good as it gets. The only question mark remains the cornerbacks outside of Richard Sherman.
The Seattle Seahawks may have been the most fortunate team in the NFL last year. Of Seattle’s 11 regular season wins, 10 of them were by one score or fewer, and the guys who make NFL expert picks made a killing.. For the 2019 season, Seattle allowed 5.9 yards per play on defense (27th in the NFL) and gained 5.8 yards per play on offense for a negative differential. That’s certainly a far cry from the Legion of Boom days.
What the Seahawks have going for them is still Russell Wilson, and that always makes them a frightening team to bet against. If his head coach would ever fully unleash him it would be even scarier. Wilson has by far the best wide receiver duo he has ever had to work with in Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.
At some point when you go all in on high-priced player acquisitions you will have to deal with it down the line. That is what happened to the Rams this offseason as they lost Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks, Dante Fowler, Cory Littleton and Eric Weddle. One of the most talented rosters in the NFL for the past few seasons took a big hit. Wade Phillips is also a big loss at defensive coordinator.
The Arizona Cardinals are a trendy pick to make a big leap forward this season. There are definitely a lot of good reasons to back this up.
Kyler Murray seems to be the perfect fit for Kilff Kingsbury’s offense and should only get better in year two. That should certainly be true with the addition of DeAndre Hopkins to join Christian Kirk and the ageless Larry Fitzgerald.
The big question for the Cardinals is regarding their defense that finished worst in the league in yards allowed. With the drafting of Isaiah Simmons and the addition of Devon Kennard to go along with Jordan Hicks, Arizona has amazing speed in the middle of its defense. The Cardinals were embarrassing in defending tight ends last year as anybody who specialized in player props knew, so this should be a big help. Although the NFL odds may not be in their favor the Cardinals could be a real underdog pick to win this division.
Arizona certainly had a great offseason, but still plays in a very tough division. This could be a team that is just another year away.
As the Cards get set for what should be an odd 2020 season, there’s one player on their roster that could be due for a big season, that being linebacker Evan Weaver.
NFL.com today has a piece out with breakout stars from around the NFL, and Weaver is right at the top of the list.
Here’s what Michael Silver had to say about the linebacker:
I’m definitely going to get laughed at by my esteemed colleagues who graduated from Michigan (Jeff) and Miami (Judy) — and probably even by the proud Howard grad (Jim), too — but my rookie to watch is Arizona Cardinals linebacker Evan Weaver, a sixth-round pick out of … the University of California.
Yes, I’m biased. And yes, I know Weaver isn’t slated to be a starter, or even considered a lock to make the 53-man roster.
That said, I watched this guy evolve from a low-rated recruit playing backup defensive end for an atrocious unit to a game-changing, All-American inside linebacker for an outstanding defense — and the transition was not subtle.
At Cal, Weaver was a tackling machine who was constantly around the ball, came up huge in pivotal moments and never stopped letting his opponents know, even in post-game interviews. He looks like Mr. Incredible (from the 2004 animated Pixar flick) and plays every down like an unheralded and overlooked maniac trying desperately to get people’s attention.
I’m predicting that somehow, some way, Weaver will do just that. It may be primarily on special teams, or it may be as a fill-in, or he may simply will his way onto the field. I know the NFL is a whole different level than the Pac-12, and I know the odds aren’t stacked in his favor.
March 1st, 2021 
Matt Loede 
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