Cardinals Welcome Fan Favorite as Honorary Captain

A former Cardinals fan favorite was with the team during its coin toss.

Dec 12, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker Markus Golden (44) against the New England Patriots at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- Former Arizona Cardinals OLB Markus Golden was welcomed back to State Farm Stadium as an honorary captain ahead of the team's Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

The #AZCardinals have former LB Markus Golden here as an honorary captain.

— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) September 15, 2024

Golden - who recently announced his retirement - played for the Cardinals over the course of seven combined years and notched 127 total career games with stints for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants.

Golden was a fan-favorite here in the desert for his attitude and overall level of play.

"A Big thank you to God, my family, friends, St. Louis, Matthew Dickey Boys & Girls Club, Affton, Hutchinson Community College, Mizzou, The Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers for giving me the opportunity to pursue my dreams," Golden said in his retirement post.

"I’m also incredibly grateful to all the teammates and coaches I had the privilege to work with along the way. To all the incredible fans, Thank You! Your passion and energy fueled me, and I’m grateful for each and every one of you."

Golden was made a second-round pick by the Cardinals in 2015 and honestly might have been a potential contributor for Arizona given their status at outside linebacker.

Still, it's great to see Golden back home where he belongs.

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