Arizona Cardinals 2026 Overview

Schedule

Coming May 14 ...

Wins

Play Calling

Key Additions

• QB Carson Beck
• RB Jeremiyah Love
• RB Tyler Allgeier
• G Isaac Seumalo
• G Chase Bisontis

Key Departures

• QB Kyler Murray

Notable Coaching Changes

• HC Jonathan Gannon and OC Drew Petzing out
• HC Mike LaFleur and OC Nathaniel Hackett in

Jacoby Brissett

2025 Role & Results

Surprising QB1 Production

Brissett took over for an injured Kyler Murray in Week 6 last year. Over the final 12 games, he averaged:

• 280.5 passing yards
• 1.9 TDs
• 0.7 INTs
• 13.8 rushing yards
• 0.1 rushing TDs

Brissett ranked eighth among QBs in fantasy points per game over that stretch. He finished as a top-12 fantasy QB in 10 of those 12 outings, although he never finished better than QB6.

Fueled By Big Volume

Brissett benefited from big volume in his 12 starts. His 484 pass attempts over that span led the league, 46 ahead of any other QB. He ranked second to Matthew Stafford with 40 throws into the end zone.

Brissett also led all QBs in expected fantasy points per game from Week 6 on.

Brissett Was Just Decent

Brissett posted middling efficiency marks last year:

• 64.9% completion rate (18th among 32 qualifying QBs)
• 6.9 yards per attempt (20th)
• 4.7% TD rate (20th)

Brissett ranked 22nd among those 32 QBs in Pro Football Focus passing grade.

Why Did The Cardinals Throw So Much?

The Cardinals ranked first in pass rate (68.6%) across Brissett’s 12 starts. No other team threw on more than 63.4% of their plays over that span.

That was largely by design. Arizona ranked first in neutral pass rate (65.8%) and pass rate over expected (+7.1%) with Brissett at the helm. The pass rate also got a boost from negative game script. The Cardinals went 1-11 in Brissett’s starts.

2025 Was An Outlier For Brissett

Last year's 12 starts were Brissett's most since 2019. He's spent most of his 10 NFL seasons as a backup and has made double-digit starts just four times. Here is where he finished in fantasy points per game in those seasons:

• 2017: 27th
• 2019: 28th
• 2022: 37th
• 2025: eighth

Brissett's career 61.9% completion rate and 6.6 yards per attempt both sit well below league average.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Will Brissett Start All Season?

The rebuilding Cardinals appear set to enter 2026 with Brissett as their starter. They released Murray in March and only added free-agent Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck.

Minshew is on his sixth team in eight NFL seasons. Minshew beats Brissett in career completion rate (63.1%) and yards per attempt (6.9). But there’s been no indication that he’s a real threat for the starting job.

Beck looks like a better bet to see the field this season. He made 43 starts across six college seasons, completing 69.5% of his passes at 8.4 yards per attempt. But the fact that he fell to the third round of the draft says the league doesn’t think he’s likely to develop into a full-time starter.

We only expect Beck to take the field this year if Brissett struggles or if (when) the Cardinals fall out of contention.

A Top-Heavy Supporting Cast

Arizona’s top three targets return for 2026: Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Wilson.

McBride has emerged as one of the league’s top TEs, with 237 catches and 2,385 yards over the last two seasons. He averaged 7.6 yards per target from Brissett last year.

Harrison has been relatively disappointing through two NFL seasons. But he’s provided big-play pop (14.5 yards per catch) and scored 12 TDs in 26 games.

Wilson was one of the biggest surprises of 2025, tallying a 78-1,006-7 receiving line. Most of that production came when Harrison was out. But Wilson finished a solid 29th among 76 qualifying WRs in Pro Football Focus receiving grade.

The Cardinals bolstered their weaponry by using the third overall pick on RB Jeremiyah Love. He projects as a three-down contributor right away. Love caught 55 balls at 9.4 yards per catch across his final two seasons at Notre Dame.

There’s little to get excited about behind those four guys, but it’s a strong pass-catching corps at the top.

The offensive line looks shakier. Last year's unit ranked 21st in ESPN's pas- block win rate and 27th in PFF pass-blocking grade. Arizona added free-agent G Isaac Seumalo and second-round rookie G Chase Bisontis, but this still projects as a subpar line.

New Coaching Staff Adds Uncertainty

Arizona features a new coaching staff led by HC Mike LaFleur, who is expected to call offensive plays.

LaFleur spent the past three years as Rams OC but did not call plays. He also spent seven seasons working under Kyle Shanahan from 2014 to 2020.

LaFleur’s only play-calling experience came with the Jets in 2021 and 2022. Both teams finished bottom-8 in total yards and points, although it’s tough to pin too much blame on LaFleur when his QBs were Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco.

LaFleur’s offenses were relatively balanced in run/pass split, registering pass rates over expected of +3.9% and -0.6%.

Considering LaFleur’s history, the team’s personnel, and the likelihood the Cardinals won’t be good, expect a balanced to pass-leaning offense this season. But don’t expect them to throw anywhere near as much as they did last year.

Paths to Ceiling

We saw Brissett's ceiling last year. This group gives him a path to low-end QB1 production, but he'd need huge pass volume to get there again.

Risk Factors

Brissett has spent most of his career as a backup. His career completion rate and yards per attempt sit below average. Last season marked the first time he was a consistent fantasy asset.

On a rebuilding Cardinals team, it’s easy to see Brissett giving way to Beck around the middle of the season, if Beck proves ready for duty.

Jeremiyah Love

Prospect Profile

Sophomore Breakout

After sitting behind Audric Estime as a true freshman at Notre Dame in 2023, Love turned in two straight huge seasons.

Despite trailing QB Riley Leonard in carries and toting it just 43 times more than Jadarian Price, Love racked up 1,125 yards and 17 TDs in 2024. The 17 scores tied for eighth-most in the nation. And the efficiency was elite. Among 160 RBs with 100+ carries, Love ranked:

• sixth in yards per carry
• 11th in yards after contact per attempt
• fifth in missed tackles forced per attempt

Love proved dangerous in the passing game as well, averaging 8.5 yards per catch and scoring twice among 28 receptions. His 1.37 yards per route ranked 36th among 117 RBs with 20+ targets.

Even Better in 2025

Love delivered more of the same last year. He widened the gap over Price, out-carrying him 199 to 113. And he set new career highs in rushing yards (1,372), rushing TDs (18), receiving yards (280), and receiving TDs (3).

Love ranked seventh in the country in rushing yards and third in TDs, despite finishing just 28th in carries. His 6.9 yards per carry ranked sixth among 165 qualifiers. He ranked 11th in yards after contact per attempt and 31st in missed tackles forced per attempt.

Love also averaged a huge 10.4 yards per catch and ranked 17th among 136 qualifying RBs in yards per route (1.83).

He was a 2025 Heisman finalist, finishing third behind QBs Fernando Mendoza and Diego Pavia.

Love Gets Rare Draft Capital

Love went third overall in this spring’s draft, becoming just the sixth RB over the last 10 years to go inside the top 10. He joins:

• Leonard Fournette
• Christian McCaffrey
• Saquon Barkley
• Bijan Robinson
• Ashton Jeanty

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Love Should Dominate Touches Right Away

Love joins Tyler Allgeier atop a remade Cardinals depth chart. Allgeier ran for 1,035 yards as a rookie in 2022 but spent the last three years as No. 2 to Bijan Robinson.

He'll play a similar role in Arizona. Allgeier could steal enough carries to be annoying, but his 61 catches across four NFL seasons tell you he won't matter much in the passing game.

Trey Benson and James Conner also remain on the Cardinals roster for now, but neither is likely to be a major 2026 factor. Benson has struggled to find the field through two NFL seasons, totaling 92 carries. Conner is 31, comes off a season-ending ankle injury, and took a pay cut this offseason.

Love is the most talented player in this backfield. And the draft capital all but ensures a big role. Here’s how many touches per game those previous top-10 RBs averaged as rookies:

For perspective, only seven RBs averaged more than 18.9 touches per game last year. Only one topped 22.

Will The Supporting Cast Hold Him Back?

The Cardinals are in rebuild mode, planning to trot out Jacoby Brissett as their Week 1 starter. Brissett kept the offense on track over the final 12 games last season. But we’re still talking about a 33-year-old journeyman with 6.6 yards per attempt for his career.

There’s also a chance we see third-round rookie Carson Beck under center at some point this season. QB play is at least a minor concern for Love.

Same with the offensive line. Last year’s Cardinals ranked:

• 29th in adjusted line yards
• 15th in ESPN’s run-block win rate
• 27th in Pro Football Focus’ run-blocking grades

Arizona added free-agent G Isaac Seumalo and second-round rookie G Chase Bisontis, but this still projects as a subpar offensive line.

Rookie Breece Hall Could Be A Clue

Arizona features a new coaching staff led by HC Mike LaFleur, who is expected to call offensive plays.

LaFleur spent the past three years as Rams OC but did not call plays. He also spent seven seasons working under Kyle Shanahan from 2014 to 2020. That’s a strong coaching tree, as Sean McVay and Shanahan have consistently churned out productive backfields.

But LaFleur’s only play-calling experience came with the Jets in 2021 and 2022. Neither offense was good, largely due to QB rooms of Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco.

The 2021 team deployed an ugly three-RB committee with Michael Carter, Tevin Coleman, and Ty Johnson. 

But rookie Breece Hall arrived in 2022 and got encouraging usage before a Week 7 ACL tear. He averaged just 7.0 carries over his first three games but jumped to 18.3 over his final three. Hall also averaged 5.2 targets per game on a 13.4% share across his six full games.

Paths to Ceiling

Love could quickly prove to be one of the most talented RBs in the NFL, both as a runner and pass catcher.

If Brissett keeps the offense on track and Love gets the type of volume that recent top-10 picks Saquon Barkley and Ashton Jeanty got, he could score as a top-5 fantasy RB.

Risk Factors

There’s implosion potential with Arizona’s offense due to questionable QB and offensive line rooms.

There’s also a chance that Allgeier steals more carries than we’re expecting, particularly near the goal line.

Love could disappoint and fall outside the top 20 fantasy RBs.

Tyler Allgeier

2025 Role & Results

Barely Relevant In Fantasy

Allgeier carried 143 times for 514 yards and 8 TDs last year. He added another 96 scoreless yards on 14 catches. He finished:

• 51st among RBs in PPR points per game
• 51st in half-PPR points per game
• 47th in non-PPR points per game

Goal-Line Role Isn't Enough

Allgeier worked as the clear No. 2 RB behind Bijan Robinson, registering a:

• 29.9% snap rate
• 30.0% carry share
• 2.9% target share

Allgeier played a bigger role near the goal line, matching Robinson and tying for 22nd among all RBs with 10 carries inside the 5-yard line. 

But he still finished outside the top 50 RBs in expected points per game across scoring formats.

His Play Dipped In 2025

Allgeier posted career worsts in multiple efficiency metrics last year, including:

• Yards per carry (3.6)
• Yards after contact per attempt (2.92)
• Missed tackles forced per attempt (0.18)

He also ranked 40th among 51 qualifying RBs in rush yards over expected per attempt.

Underwhelming Since Rookie Year

Allgeier led the Falcons backfield with 210 carries and 1,035 rushing yards as a rookie in 2022. But he has worked behind Robinson the last three years, averaging 155 carries, 614 yards, and 5 TDs per season.

He ranks 31st in career yards after contact per attempt and 43rd in missed tackles forced per attempt among 69 RBs with 200+ carries over the last four seasons.

Allgeier has been lightly used in the passing game throughout his career, finishing all four seasons in the range of 13-18 catches.

Clean Injury History

Allgeier has not missed a game due to injury across his four NFL seasons.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

From Backup In Atlanta ... To Backup In Arizona

Allgeier inked a two-year, $12.25 million deal with the Cardinals in free agency in March. At that point, he looked like the favorite to lead the team in carries, ahead of James Conner and Trey Benson.

Then Arizona used the third overall pick on Jeremiyah Love. The Notre Dame product racked up 2,497 rushing yards on 6.9 yards per carry and 517 receiving yards on 9.4 yards per catch over the last two seasons.

Love will lead Arizona's backfield this season, and recent top-10 RB history says he has a real chance to dominate the work. Four of the last five RBs drafted in the top 10 averaged at least 16 touches per game as rookies, with three at 18.9 or more.

Allgeier already played behind one of those top-10 picks in 2023. Bijan Robinson only out-carried him 214 to 186, although Robinson crushed him 86 to 23 in targets. Allgeier still finished just 44th among RBs in PPR points per game and 42nd in non-PPR.

Supporting Cast Is A Concern

The Cardinals are in rebuild mode, planning to trot out Jacoby Brissett as their Week 1 starter. Brissett kept the offense decent over the final 12 games of last season. But we’re still talking about a 33-year-old journeyman 6.6 yards per attempt for his career.

There’s also a chance we see third-round rookie Carson Beck under center at some point this season. QB play is at least a minor concern for Allgeier’s 2026 outlook.

Same with the offensive line. Last year’s Cardinals ranked:

• 29th in adjusted line yards
• 15th in ESPN’s run block win rate
• 27th in Pro Football Focus’ run-blocking grades

Arizona added some pieces this offseason, namely free-agent G Isaac Seumalo and second-round rookie G Chase Bisontis. But this still projects as a subpar offensive line.

Will The New Coaching Staff Get Him Involved?

Arizona features a new coaching staff led by HC Mike LaFleur, who is expected to call offensive plays.

LaFleur spent the past three years as Rams OC but did not call plays. He also spent seven seasons working under Kyle Shanahan from 2014 to 2020. That’s a strong coaching tree, as Sean McVay and Shanahan have consistently churned out productive backfields.

But LaFleur’s only play-calling experience came with the Jets in 2021 and 2022. Neither offense was good, largely due to QB rooms of Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco.

The 2021 team deployed an ugly three-RB committee with Michael Carter, Tevin Coleman, and Ty Johnson. Carter led the way but finished just RB34 in PPR points per game.

Rookie Breece Hall arrived in 2022. He split work with Carter over the first three games of the season but claimed a workhorse role over the next three before tearing an ACL.

Paths to Ceiling

The best-case scenario for Allgeier this season is a role similar to the one he played behind rookie Bijan Robinson in 2023. He could maintain something close to a 50-50 split in carries with Jeremiyah Love, although Love is a lock to control receiving.

That type of usage could make Allgeier a usable RB3 or flex, especially in non-PPR leagues.

Risk Factors

Allgeier is the favorite for Arizona’s No. 2 RB job. But James Conner and Trey Benson remain on the roster. 

If Allgeier doesn’t bounce back from underwhelming 2025 efficiency, he could get pushed for that spot on the depth chart.

There’s also a chance that Love dominates backfield work to the extent that Allgeier is a non-factor.

Marvin Harrison Jr.

2025 Role & Results

Harrison Was Productive When Healthy

Harrison caught 41 balls for 608 yards and 4 TDs across 12 games last year, finishing 42nd among WRs in PPR points per game and 37th in non-PPR.

But if we omit the four games he played less than 70% of Arizona’s offensive snaps due to injury, Harrison climbs to 21st in PPR points per game and 15th in non-PPR.

He Lived On Deep Balls And Red-Zone Work

Harrison drew 21.5% of the team’s targets in his eight healthy games last season. That trailed Trey McBride (25.9%) but beat WR Michael Wilson (11.7%) and the rest of the Cardinals. 

Harrison worked primarily downfield. His 13.9-yard average target depth ranked 11th among 76 qualifying WRs, and 16 of his 72 targets (22.2%) came 20+ yards downfield, 30th-most among that group.

Harrison also played a big role in and around the end zone. In his eight healthy games, he garnered 24.3% of Arizona’s red-zone targets and a team-high 41.7% of the end-zone targets.

He Could Have Been Better

Harrison underachieved vs. his usage last year. He averaged 10.5 PPR points per game vs. 11.6 expected points per game. In those eight healthy games: 13.2 points per game vs. 14.6 expected.

That was at least partly due to only 67% of his targets being deemed catchable, 54th among 76 WRs. Pro Football Focus also charged Harrison with five drops.

He caught just 56.2% of his targets but averaged 14.8 yards per catch. His 8.3 yards per target ranked 27th among 76 qualifying WRs. Harrison’s 1.58 yards per route sat 42nd.

Big Pass Volume Helped

The 2025 Cardinals were the pass-heaviest offense in the NFL. They ranked first in pass rate and pass attempts, finishing seventh in both passing yards and TDs.

Much of that pass-heaviness came with QB Jacoby Brissett, though. Over the first five games of the season with QB Kyler Murray, Arizona averaged 32.4 passes per game on a 59.1% pass rate. Those marks jumped to 40.6 and 68.6% with Brissett over the final 12 games.

Harrison reached a 70% snap rate in just three of those Brissett games. In them, he averaged:

• 9.3 targets
• 4.0 catches
• 62.3 yards
• 0.67 TDs
• 14.2 PPR points

Those marks beat his averages in the five Murray games:

• 6.4 targets
• 4.0 catches
• 61.2 yards
• 0.4 TDs
• 12.5 PPR points

Harrison Failed To Take a Step Forward From Rookie Season

Harrison averaged 11.7 PPR points per game and finished WR42 as a rookie.

He improved his catch rate (53.4% to 56.2%), yards per catch (14.3 to 14.8), and yards per target (7.6 to 8.3) from 2024 to 2025. But his yards per route, a more predictive metric, sunk from 1.63 to 1.58.

Harrison averaged 1.51 yards per route in his three healthy games with Brissett.

Injury History Becoming Worrisome

Harrison sustained a concussion in Week 6 last year but was cleared for Week 7. A November appendectomy cost him two games, and then right-heel and left-foot injuries hampered him down the stretch.

Harrison also suffered concussions as a rookie in 2024 and at Ohio State in 2022.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Is Harrison Still Arizona's No. 1 WR?

The Cardinals return their top three targets from last year in Harrison, Trey McBride, and Michael Wilson.

Harrison is locked into a full-time role, but his target projection is murkier.

McBride’s a good bet to lead Arizona in targets after posting 28.2% and 26.0% shares the past two seasons.

Wilson is coming off a breakout third season, tallying 78 catches for 1,006 yards and 7 TDs. The vast majority of that damage came with Harrison out or limited, though. Harrison out-targeted Wilson 59 to 32 in his eight healthy games.

But Wilson was the better receiver last year by most metrics, including:

• Yards per route (1.59 to 1.58)
• PFF receiving grade (76.4 to 67.6)
• ESPN receiver score (62 to 54)

Wilson figures to have a bigger role this season. And it’s even possible that Wilson leads the WR corps in targets.

The Cardinals also spent the third overall pick on RB Jeremiyah Love. He’ll play a big role right away, including in the passing game. Love caught 55 balls and averaged 9.4 yards per catch over his final two seasons at Notre Dame.

Supporting Cast Could Be A Problem

The Cardinals are in rebuild mode, planning to trot out Jacoby Brissett as their Week 1 starter. Brissett kept the offense decent over the final 12 games of last season. But we’re still talking about a 33-year-old journeyman with 6.6 yards per attempt for his career.

There’s also a chance we see third-round rookie Carson Beck under center at some point this season.

QB play is a concern for Harrison’s 2026 outlook.

New Coaching Staff Figures To Throw Less

Arizona features a new coaching staff led by HC Mike LaFleur, who is expected to call offensive plays.

LaFleur spent the past three years as Rams OC but did not call plays. He also spent seven seasons working under Kyle Shanahan from 2014 to 2020.

LaFleur’s only play-calling experience came with the Jets in 2021 and 2022. Both teams finished bottom-8 in total yards and points, although it’s tough to pin too much blame on LaFleur when his QBs were Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco.

LaFleur’s offenses were relatively balanced in terms of run/pass split, registering pass rates over expected of +3.9% and -0.6%.

Considering LaFleur’s history, the team’s personnel, and the fact that this likely won’t be a good team, expect the Cardinals to be a balanced to pass-leaning offense this season. But don’t expect them to throw anywhere near as much as they did last year.

Paths to Ceiling

When healthy last year, Harrison quietly produced like a fantasy WR2 as Arizona's No. 2 target. If Brissett performs like he did last year and Arizona remains in the top half of the league in pass volume, Harrison could deliver WR2 production again.

Risk Factors

Harrison could lose target share to the ascending Michael Wilson and rookie Jeremiyah Love.

There’s also implosion potential with an offense that will be quarterbacked by some combination of Brissett, rookie Carson Beck, and Gardner Minshew.

Michael Wilson

2025 Role & Results

Elite Fantasy Production (Without Marvin Harrison Jr.)

Wilson enjoyed a breakout 2025, posting career highs with 78 catches, 1,006 yards, and 7 TDs. He finished 20th among WRs in PPR points per game; 24th in non-PPR.

The majority of his damage came with WR Marvin Harrison Jr. out or limited. In eight games with Harrison playing 70+% of Arizona’s offensive snaps, Wilson averaged:

• 4.0 targets (12.0% share)
• 2.3 catches
• 23.4 yards
• 0.13 TDs
• 5.4 PPR points

In the other nine games:

• 10.2 targets
• 6.7 catches
• 91.0 yards
• 0.67 TDs
• 19.8 PPR points

Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were the only WRs to average more PPR points than Wilson over those nine games.

Wilson's Efficiency Was Also Tied To Harrison

Wilson hauled in 61.9% of his targets and averaged 12.9 yards per catch on the season. His 1.59 yards per route ranked 40th among 76 WRs with 50+ targets.

His per-target and per-route efficiency skyrocketed without Harrison.

Eight games with a healthy Harrison:

• 5.9 yards per target
• 0.67 yards per route

Other nine games:

• 8.9 yards per target
• 2.33 yards per route

The yards per route shift is the difference between ranking dead last among 76 qualifiers last year and 12th.

Boosted By Big Pass Volume

The 2025 Cardinals were the pass-heaviest offense in the NFL. They ranked first in pass rate and pass attempts, finishing seventh in both passing yards and TDs.

Much of that pass-heaviness came with QB Jacoby Brissett, though. Over the first five games of the season with QB Kyler Murray, Arizona averaged 32.4 passes per game on a 59.1% pass rate. Those marks jumped to 40.6 and 68.6% with Brissett over the final 12.

All nine of Wilson’s games without a healthy Harrison came with Brissett. The Cardinals averaged 41.6 pass attempts across those nine games. That would have led the league by nearly four attempts for the season.

2025 Breakout Came Out Of Nowhere

Wilson totaled 1,113 yards and 7 TDs across his first two NFL seasons. He finished WR53 in PPR points per game in 2023 and WR72 in 2024.

Wilson ranked 55th among 80 qualifiers with 1.36 yards per route as a rookie, but he fell to 75th out of 83 WRs with 1.09 yards per route in Year 2.

Finally Healthy Last Year

Wilson had a pair of foot injuries that required surgery at Stanford in 2020 and 2021. He also suffered an undisclosed season-ending injury in 2022.

His NFL injury history includes shoulder and neck issues in 2023 and a hamstring injury in 2024.

Wilson played all 17 games last year.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Can Wilson Produce Alongside Harrison?

The Cardinals return their top three targets from last year in Wilson, Marvin Harrison, and Trey McBride.

McBride is a good bet to lead Arizona in targets after drawing 28.2% and 26.0% shares the past two seasons.

The Cardinals also spent the third overall pick on RB Jeremiyah Love this spring. He’ll play a big role right away, including in the passing game. Love caught 55 balls and averaged 9.4 yards per catch over his final two seasons at Notre Dame.

The big question is how targets will be split between Wilson and Harrison. Harrison was the clear leader when healthy last year, out-targeting Wilson 59 to 32 in eight games in which he played a snap rate of 70+%.

But Wilson was the better receiver by most metrics, including:

• Yards per route (1.59 to 1.58)
• Pro Football Focus receiving grade (76.4 to 67.6)
• ESPN receiver score (62 to 54)

Expect Wilson’s role to be bigger even when Harrison’s healthy this year. There’s a chance that Wilson leads the WR corps in targets.

QB Concerns

The Cardinals are in rebuild mode, planning to trot out Jacoby Brissett as their Week 1 starter. Brissett kept the offense decent over the final 12 games of last season. But we’re still talking about a 33-year-old journeyman with 6.6 yards per attempt for his career.

There’s also a chance we see third-round rookie Carson Beck under center at some point this season.

QB play is a concern for Wilson’s 2026 outlook.

New Coaching Staff Likely To Mute Pass Volume

Arizona features a new coaching staff led by HC Mike LaFleur, who is expected to call offensive plays.

LaFleur spent the past three years as Rams OC but did not call plays. He also spent seven seasons working under Kyle Shanahan from 2014 to 2020.

LaFleur’s only play-calling experience came with the Jets in 2021 and 2022. Both teams finished bottom-8 in total yards and points, although it’s tough to pin too much blame on LaFleur when his QBs were Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco.

LaFleur’s offenses were relatively balanced in terms of run/pass split, registering pass rates over expected of +3.9% and -0.6%.

Considering LaFleur’s history, the team’s personnel, and the likelihood this won’t be a good team, expect the Cardinals to run a balanced to pass-leaning offense. Don’t expect them to throw anywhere near as much as they did last year.

Paths to Ceiling

Wilson outplayed Harrison last year, so there’s a chance he emerges as Arizona’s No. 1 WR and No. 2 target this season.

If that happens, and Brissett plays like he did last year, Wilson could be a weekly WR3 in fantasy.

Risk Factors

Pedigree alone could keep Harrison ahead of Wilson in opportunities. That would leave Wilson third or maybe even fourth in targets, behind Harrison, McBride, and potentially Love.

There’s also implosion potential with an offense that will be quarterbacked by some combination of Brissett and rookie Carson Beck.

Trey McBride

2025 Role & Results

The Best TE Season Ever?

McBride turned in a historical 2025, catching 126 passes for 1,239 yards and 11 TDs. 

He set the NFL record for single-season catches by a TE and recorded the 11th-most yards. His 18.6 PPR points per game were the seventh-most all time at the position.

McBride, of course, led all TEs in fantasy points last year. He averaged 3.9 more points per game than any other TE. And his scoring average would have ranked fifth among WRs.

Huge Volume All Over The Field

McBride also set a single-season TE record with 169 targets last year. That ranked third league-wide and was 51 more than any other TE, bigger than the gap between the No. 2 and No. 21 TEs in targets.

McBride led the entire NFL with 695 pass routes last year. He drew a target on 25% of them, which ranked 30th among all players with 50+ targets and second among TEs. McBride’s 25.4% target share ranked 13th league-wide and first among TEs.

He also led all TEs with 48 red-zone targets (21 more than any other TE) and 18 end-zone targets (five more than any other TE).

McBride’s 17.7 expected PPR points per game were 4.2 more than any other TE and would have ranked fifth among WRs.

The Efficiency Was Good, Too

McBride caught 74.6% of his targets last year but averaged just 9.8 yards per catch. His 7.3 yards per target ranked 17th among 39 TEs with 40+ targets.

McBride looks better from a yards per route perspective, where he ranked sixth among those 39 TEs. McBride also finished second in Pro Football Focus receiving grade and sixth in ESPN receiver score.

Boosted By Brissett + Pass Volume

The 2025 Cardinals were the pass-heaviest offense in the NFL. They ranked first in pass rate and pass attempts, finishing seventh in both pass yards and TDs.

Much of that pass-heaviness came with QB Jacoby Brissett. Over the first five games of the season with QB Kyler Murray, Arizona averaged 32.4 passes per game on a 59.1% pass rate. Those marks jumped to 40.6 and 68.6% with Brissett over the final 12.

Not surprisingly, McBride got a boost in those Brissett games.

With Murray:

• 13.1 expected PPR points per game
• 12.5 PPR points per game

With Brissett:

• 19.6 expected PPR points per game
• 21.1 PPR points per game

2.5 Seasons Of Elite Production

McBride finished second among TEs with 15.2 PPR points per game in 2024. He drew a 28.2% target share that season and averaged a career-best 2.14 yards per route.

McBride’s breakout started when Zach Ertz went down with a season-ending injury in Week 7 of 2023. Over the final 10 games of that season, McBride tallied a 26.2% target share and averaged 15.0 PPR points per game.

McBride ranks second to Brock Bowers in PPR points per game over the last three seasons and leads the position over the last two years.

McBride Has Been Durable

McBride has missed just one game with injury through four NFL seasons, with a concussion in September 2024.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Will The Huge Volume Return This Season?

McBride returns as the heavy favorite to lead the Cardinals in targets this season.

Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson are back as the team’s top two WRs. Harrison drew 21.9% of targets in his eight healthy games last year after posting a 21.4% target share as a rookie. Wilson is coming off a breakout 2025. But the vast majority of his production came when Harrison was out or limited.

The Cardinals did add Jeremiyah Love with the third pick of the draft. He’ll play a big role right away, including in the passing game. Love caught 55 balls and averaged 9.4 yards per catch over his final two seasons at Notre Dame.

McBride might not match last year’s 25.4% target share this season. But he’s a good bet to finish top-3 among TEs in targets and is as good a bet as anyone to lead the position.

Can Brissett Do It Again?

The Cardinals are in rebuild mode, planning to trot out Jacoby Brissett as their Week 1 starter. Brissett kept the offense decent – and boosted McBride’s production – over the final 12 games of last season. But we’re still talking about a 33-year-old journeyman with 6.6 yards per attempt for his career.

There’s also a chance we see third-round rookie Carson Beck under center at some point this season.

QB play is a concern for McBride’s 2026 outlook, despite Brissett’s production last year.

Pass Volume Likely Down Under New Coaching Staff

Arizona features a new coaching staff led by HC Mike LaFleur, who is expected to call offensive plays.

LaFleur spent the past three years as Rams OC but did not call plays. He also spent seven seasons working under Kyle Shanahan from 2014 to 2020.

LaFleur’s only play-calling experience came with the Jets in 2021 and 2022. Both teams finished bottom eight in total yards and points, although it’s tough to pin too much blame on LaFleur when his QBs were Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco.

LaFleur’s offenses were relatively balanced in terms of run/pass split, registering pass rates over expected of +3.9% and -0.6%.

Considering LaFleur’s history, the team’s personnel, and the likelihood this team won’t be good, expect the Cardinals to run a balanced to pass-leaning offense this season. But don’t expect them to throw anywhere near as much as they did last year.

Paths to Ceiling

We saw the path last year. The Cardinals throw a bunch, McBride dominates targets, and he finishes as the clear TE1 in fantasy football. That’s within the range of outcomes again this season.

Risk Factors

McBride could lose target share and have the Cardinals throw significantly less this season. That combination would likely drop McBride behind Brock Bowers in fantasy scoring, and might also allow TEs such as Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren to challenge him.