As Season Ends, Cardinals Know This is Just The Beginning

The Arizona Cardinals finished 2024 on the right foot - giving hope for a brighter 2025.

Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals cornerback Kei'Trel Clark (13) celebrates an interception with teammates against the San Francisco 49ers in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

GLENDALE -- It was an important day of football for the Arizona Cardinals.

Sure, the Cardinals were completely out of the playoff picture and had been for a week before hosting the San Francisco 49ers.

Sure, injuries derailed both the Cardinals/49ers before and during action in Glendale.

Yet to quote the great Scott Van Pelt - they signed up for 60 minutes.

We may have just seen the best four quarters Arizona pieced together all season, as the Cardinals scored 47 points on offense - with no turnovers - and took the ball away three times defensively in a season-ending win over San Francisco.

"Not going to get in the future, but didn't accomplish what we wanted to accomplish this year. And that stings, but I'm proud of them, I really am," head coach Jonathan Gannon said post-game.

"They fought, they battled. We had a lot of guys in the lineup. Roles were changing, and to put that kind of effort against the San Francisco 49ers, a well coached, tough, physical team, I thought that was pretty cool to see. So I'm proud of them. I thanked them for that. It's good to see us close out this year at home with a win."

This isn't quite where the Cardinals wanted to be, especially after their 6-4 record entering the bye week. A 1-5 stretch entering Week 18 saw them stumble down the NFC playoff picture into familiar territory: sitting on the couch during postseason play.

Yet there's a different feeling about these Cardinals.

Arizona managed to double their win total from 2023, finishing with an 8-7 record. Say what you want about the collapse - and there should be hefty conversations on the why/how it can't happen again - but nobody had the Cardinals playing meaningful games deep into December before the ball was kicked.

Moral victories get you nowhere, especially in the result-oriented business that is the National Football League, though it's possible to feel massively dissapointed in the late-season crumble while also being excited looking ahead into 2025 and beyond.

Just ask quarterback Kyler Murray.

"Wanted to be playing next week. Didn't reach that. Didn't reach our goals, but I know we're heading in the right direction. I know that," Murray told reporters after the win.

"... I feel like we're on the right track."

Most would tend to agree.

The Cardinals don't have any massive obligations on their to-do list entering the offseason other than extending budding star tight end Trey McBride. Arizona (who now will have the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft) has the fourth-most effective cap space with $72.9 million to spend, according to Over The Cap's projections while also holding their first five picks in the draft.

There's ample opportunity for general manager Monti Ossenfort to improve the roster, and with a strong second season in the desert, all eyes will be on Arizona's front office to further cement themselves as a playoff contender moving forward.

Fans have cleared out of what's now an empty State Farm Stadium. These seats won't be filled again until 2025's iteration of training camp in late July.

Who knows what faces will leave and depart over the coming months, though regardless of the overall roster construction, 2024's finale only offers a helping of hope to carry Cardinals fans into the new season.