Top 50 Arizona Cardinals
The most tenured team in the National Football League, the Arizona Cardinals have taken a long road, traversed multiple cities, and seen more hard times than good.
Formed in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club, they would be renamed the Racine Normals for two years before becoming the Racing Cardinals. Twenty years later, they were charter members of the National Football League as the Chicago Cardinals.
In the Windy City, the franchise won two titles, the first in 1925, disputed by the Pottsville Maroons, but there was no NFL Championship Game back then. The second title is undisputed, as with their "Million Dollar Backfield," they won the Championship Game in 1947, the last title they have won.
Taking a backseat to the Bears in Chicago, the Cardinals relocated to St. Louis in 1961. They only made the playoffs thrice in St. Louis and relocated again in 1987, becoming the Phoenix Cardinals. That name would change again to the Arizona Cardinals, and with Kurt Warner as their Quarterback, they made it to their first Super Bowl in the 2008 Season. They did not win but appear to have a permanent home in the desert.
Note: Football lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
This list is up to the end of the 2024 Season.
OFFICIAL LAS VEGAS RAIDERS TICKET + HOTEL PACKAGES
May 16, 2026
Buy your Tickets to see Official Las Vegas Raiders Ticket + Hotel Packages HERE!
BUFFALO BILLS TRAINING CAMP PRESENTED BY WEGMANS
Aug 03, 2026
Buy your Tickets to see Buffalo Bills Training Camp presented by Wegmans HERE!
HOUSTON TEXANS: 2026 TRAINING CAMP DAY 2
Aug 03, 2026
Buy your Tickets to see Houston Texans: 2026 Training Camp Day 2 HERE!
PITTSBURGH STEELERS TRAINING CAMP
Aug 03, 2026
Buy your Tickets to see Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp HERE!
Over the century-plus existence of the Cardinals through stops in Chicago, St. Louis, and Arizona, it takes a special player to make the top of a list of the greatest of all time. In the case of the Cardinals, the top of the heap comes in Larry Fitzgerald, who became their gold standard in 2004. After an outstanding season at…
A two-way star at Utah, Larry Wilson barely reached six feet, which was primarily why he dropped to the Seventh Round of the 1960 NFL Draft, and it would not take long to see that he was the steal of the day. A Cardinal for the entirety of his 12 NFL campaigns, Wilson was one of the most outstanding Safety…
The Cardinals football team's long history can be traced back to a pivotal tug-of-war in winter 1947. Charley Trippi, a prominent college star from the University of Georgia who won the 1946 Maxwell Award and was the Heisman runner-up, became the center of a fierce bidding contest between the NFL and the rising All-America Football Conference. The AAFC’s New York…
As Larry Wilson’s legendary career neared its end in the late 1960s, the St. Louis Cardinals’ secondary urgently needed a new core leader. They found their solution in spring 1969, effectively bridging generations. Roger Wehrli, a consensus All-American and Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year from the University of Missouri, completely changed the way individual pass coverage was viewed.…
The mid-1970s revival of modern Cardinals football was built on strong offensive line play, led by a legendary technician who became the benchmark for excellence. Dan Dierdorf, a consensus All-American at Michigan under Bo Schembechler, brought exceptional size and agility to the NFL when the St. Louis Cardinals took him in the second round of the 1971 draft. He then…
Aeneas Williams did not play competitive football during his first two years at Southern University. He only joined the team as a junior, but by his senior year, he led the nation in interceptions and quickly attracted the attention of the Phoenix Cardinals, who picked him in the third round of the 1991 NFL Draft. What began as a low-profile…
The Cardinals’ history of defensive backs is legendary, and in spring 2011, they welcomed another top talent into that legacy. Patrick Peterson, an LSU graduate and winner of the Bednarik and Thorpe Awards, entered the NFL as an exceptionally athletic, high-profile prospect. Chosen fifth overall in the 2011 draft, Peterson combined impressive size, blazing speed, and smooth hips, quickly making…
Modern offensive football evolved significantly with the emergence of an underrated draft pick from Northwestern State. Jackie Smith, standing 6’4" and weighing 235 pounds of muscular build, was talented both as a college receiver and a track athlete. His unique blend of height and explosive speed attracted the attention of the St. Louis Cardinals, who selected him in the tenth…
Before recording his first professional football carry, Ollie Matson had already made a significant mark in global athletic history. As a standout consensus All-American running back at the University of San Francisco, his exceptional track speed propelled him to the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, where he earned a silver medal in the 4x100-meter relay and a bronze in the 400-meter dash.…
The origins of modern professional football record books can be traced back to the rough sandlots and cold fields of the 1920s. Ernie Nevers, a legendary "triple-threat" back and a consensus All-American under Glenn "Pop" Warner at Stanford, was one of America's most sought-after football stars. After excelling as a tough player-coach for the itinerant Duluth Eskimos in 1926 and…
Few nicknames in football history evoke as much fear and respect as "Night Train." Before he played in the NFL, Richard Lane’s unconventional journey to greatness defied typical scouting expectations. After four years in the U.S. Army and working on assembly lines at a Los Angeles aircraft factory, he confidently approached the Los Angeles Rams in 1952 for a tryout.…
Coming out of the University of Washington as a consensus All-American and Pac-12 standout, Bishard "Budda" Baker slid out of the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft almost exclusively because he measured just under 5 feet 10 inches tall. Recognizing his elite athletic engine and relentless closing motor, the Arizona Cardinals traded up in the second round (36th overall)…
The path from an unheralded, undrafted free agent to the absolute standard-bearer of an NFL franchise is rarely traveled, but Jim Hart walked it for nearly two decades. Arriving out of Southern Illinois in 1966, Hart signed with the St. Louis Cardinals without a shred of fanfare. What followed was an eighteen-year demonstration of sheer durability, quiet toughness, and relentless…
Another Cardinal, another Defensive Back. Adrian Wilson was a third-round pick (64th overall) from North Carolina State in the 2001 NFL Draft who proved to be a steal. He developed from a raw college player into a highly impactful strong safety known for his toughness. Wilson became a starter during his second year, leading the Cardinals' defense for 12 seasons…
Selected in the sixth round of the 1958 NFL Draft by Green Bay, Ken Gray faced tough competition in a deep roster, playing alongside future Hall of Famers. Unable to secure a permanent spot with the Packers, the Texas native was claimed by the Chicago Cardinals, making his debut as a defensive end in his rookie year. However, this defensive…
Long before the modern gridiron era of professional football, Duke Slater emerged as a formidable figure who transformed line play. An All-American at the University of Iowa and a leader in guiding the Hawkeyes to a national championship, Slater contributed exceptional strength and leverage to early professional football. He joined the Rock Island Independents, becoming the first African-American lineman in…
After setting the University of Miami school record as the first player in Hurricanes history to break the 1,000-yard mark, Ottis Anderson entered the professional ranks with immense expectations. Selected eighth overall in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, Anderson stepped into the backfield and instantly altered the physical identity of the franchise.…
Marshall Goldberg, a two-time consensus All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist under Jock Sutherland at Pitt, became a national star when the Chicago Cardinals picked him in the 1939 NFL Draft's second round. As one of the earliest notable Jewish superstars in pro football, Goldberg's unique blend of backfield strength, return speed, and defensive savvy quickly boosted the team's competitiveness. Goldberg…
Before the "Air Coryell" offenses of the mid-1970s captivated the football world, the trench work in St. Louis was anchored by a quiet, unheralded draft steal out of Illinois. Selected in the 13th round (176th overall) of the 1961 NFL Draft, Ernie McMillan arrived at training camp as a converted college tight end. The Cardinals quickly shifted his 6-foot-5, 275-pound…
