The Arizona Cardinals suffered their second consecutive blowout loss to a division opponent on Sunday, falling to the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 41-22. It was a far cry from the 16-15 slog of a loss the Cardinals suffered in Santa Clara back in week three, and it showed the overall growth from San Francisco during another injury-filled season for the Niners, while also putting on display the complete stagnation of the 2025 Cardinals.

The Main Takeaway: This team has given up

When the Cardinals went into Dallas on a Monday night and came out with a 27-17 victory, it felt like a potential springboard moment, not for some magical run to the playoffs, but for a disappointing team to compete and maybe pick up a few games down the stretch that could get fans on board with a year four of Jonathan Gannon.

Instead, it took all of two weeks for any optimism to be torn to shreds. After losing their first five games by a combined 13 points, the last two have seen Arizona’s margin of defeat rise to a whopping 41 points.

The Cardinals team that gave opponents all they could handle for 3.5 quarters every week has disappeared. After managing some kind of second-half lead in seven of their first eight games this season, the Cardinals have been tied or held a lead for 0:00 of their last two. The fact that these are divisional games against opponents Arizona played earlier in the year and almost beat again shows that the roster has failed to develop at even a fraction of the rate showcased by members of their own division.

The offense feels like it can only generate yards through the air, and only when the opposing defense feels comfortable enough to start backing off ten yards to protect a lead. The defense is called like they have a 30-point lead, and a whopping 17 penalties on Sunday is a testament to their lack of discipline.

The Cardinals' easiest games are unfortunately behind them, save for a matchup with the similarly free-falling Falcons on December 21st. The next four opponents are the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams and Houston Texans, all of whom are playoff-caliber football teams that look primed to run the Cardinals out of the building. It feels like the only thing saving this coaching staff is the unwillingness from ownership to pay a new coach while also shelling out cash to one it terminated.

Some Positivity: Michael Wilson’s career day

The Cardinals trailed wire to wire on Sunday, forcing Jacoby Brissett to attempt 57 passes, and he completed an NFL record 47 of them. 15 of those completions went to Michael Wilson, who dominated at every level en route to his first career game with double-digit catches and his first game over 100 yards. While it’s obvious that there won’t be many days where Arizona attempts this many passes and Wilson may not see 18 targets in a single game again, it was easy to see why fans continue to hope for a breakout from the former third-round pick. Wilson showcased his contested catch ability downfield and was frequently able to get open over the middle of the field.

If Marvin Harrison Jr. misses any extra time with injury, hopefully Wilson can continue to see a decent volume of targets behind Trey McBride. The Cardinals are likely going to need more receiver help in the offseason, so having a more developed Wilson alongside Harrison, McBride and an early draft pick should create a nice situation for whatever quarterback addition the Cardinals make over the next two years.

Finally: The Cardinals need to add an RB this offseason

The Cardinals' run game has fallen flat this season, averaging just 105.7 yards per game, good for 24th in the NFL. The offensive line deserves a huge chunk of the blame, as we discussed last week, but the running backs on the roster have done little to create for themselves when lanes aren’t open. James Conner returns in 2026, but he’s also a ten-million-dollar cap hit that the Cardinals can cut and only incur a dead cap hit of $2.25 million, on top of the fact that he’ll be entering his age-31 season. Beyond Conner, Trey Benson deserves a share of this backfield as a guy who has shown the speed to turn a small crease into a 40-yard gain, but he needs a running mate.

Looking to free agency, the Cardinals could bring in players like Javonte Williams, Travis Etienne Jr., Breece Hall or Tyler Allgeier if any of them decide against resigning with their respective teams. If a free agent costs too much, the 2026 draft is full of exciting players like Washington’s Jonah Coleman and Michigan’s Justice Haynes.

Whichever route they choose to take, upgrading the running back room should be high on the priority list for 2026.