Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team with roots in Chicago’s Morgan Athletic Club in 1898. A charter member of the league that became the NFLNFLThe NFL (National Football League) is a U.S. professional American football league of 32 clubs. Founded in 1920 as the APFA and renamed in 1922, it is organized into the AFC and NFC, with the season culminating in the Super Bowl.Open the full entry in 1920, the franchise has played in Chicago, St. Louis and Arizona. Its home is State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
Contents14 sections
Key facts
1898–1901Chicago origins and the team name
The club grew from the Morgan Athletic Club organized by Chris O’Brien in Chicago. Its name came from secondhand University of Chicago jerseys whose faded maroon color O’Brien described as cardinal red. The team’s official chronology dates the naming episode to 1901, while the Pro Football Hall of Fame traces the organization to 1898.[1][2]
1920–1925League membership and the first championship
In 1920, the Cardinals joined the American Professional Football Association, which later became the NFL. They won their first NFL championship in 1925. The franchise was based in Chicago during this period, before its subsequent moves to other cities.[1]
1929–1932Nevers’s scoring feat and the Bidwill purchase
Ernie Nevers scored all 40 of the Cardinals’ points in a 40–6 victory over the Chicago Bears in 1929. Charles W. Bidwill purchased the franchise in 1932, beginning the Bidwill family’s long association with the team.[1]
1947–1948A second league title
1960–1975The St. Louis years
1988–1994Moving to Arizona and adopting the state name
The team relocated to Arizona in 1988 as the Phoenix Cardinals and played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. In 1994, it became the Arizona Cardinals, adopting the state’s name instead of Phoenix.[1]
1998Ending a playoff-win drought
2006A new home in Glendale
2008–2009 seasons: A first Super Bowl and an overtime playoff win
Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald were central to the offense during the 2008 season. Arizona won the NFC championship and reached Super Bowl XLIII, played in 2009, losing 27–23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the following season’s playoffs, played in 2010, the Cardinals beat the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an NFL professional American football team formed in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1919 and admitted to the NFL’s predecessor, the APFA, in 1921. A community-owned nonprofit organization, they play at Lambeau Field in Green Bay and have won 13 NFL championships, including four Super Bowls.Open the full entry 51–45 in overtime.[1][2]
2015–2021A division title and a playoff return
Arizona won the NFC West at 13–3 in the 2015 season and advanced to the NFC Championship Game. In 2021, the Cardinals opened with seven consecutive wins and returned to the playoffs with an 11–6 record.[2]
February 1, 2026Mike LaFleur announced as head coach
The Cardinals announced Mike LaFleur as head coach, succeeding Jonathan Gannon, on a five-year agreement. LaFleur had spent the previous three seasons as the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator and had previously held that role with the New York Jets. Owner Michael Bidwill and general manager Monti Ossenfort explained the appointment in the team’s announcement.[3]
Name, league and home city
The Arizona Cardinals are an NFL team. Arizona is the state represented by the name; the current home stadium is in Glendale. Chicago Cardinals, St. Louis Cardinals and Phoenix Cardinals are former names of the same football franchise. In this context, St. Louis Cardinals refers to the football team, not the baseball club of that name.[1][2][4]
Related organizations, websites and public accounts
Arizona Cardinals: Official website: https://www.azcardinals.com/ (opens in a new window) .[5]
Arizona Cardinals: X: https://x.com/AZCardinals (opens in a new window) .[2]
Arizona Cardinals: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/@azcardinals (opens in a new window) .[5]
Arizona Cardinals: LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arizona-cardinals-football-club/ (opens in a new window) .[2]
Sources
- Arizona Cardinals — Team History (opens in a new window)
- Cardinals Essentials — History, Stadium and Social Accounts (opens in a new window)
- Cardinals Choose Mike LaFleur As New Head Coach (opens in a new window)
- Arizona Cardinals — NFL Team Profile (opens in a new window)
- Arizona Cardinals — Official Website (opens in a new window)