Which one is the oldest NFL team? It’s the Arizona Cardinals, you knew that, right? A club proudly participating in the most popular American sports event for more than a hundred years.
True fans stick with their team regardless of their standings on the chart, while glory-hunters only support winners. As of the 2023-24 season, the Arizona Cardinals couldn’t make it to the playoffs, but there’s always a chance to bounce back.
When a favourite team loses, it definitely hurts the fans, but that doesn’t mean they’ll drift away from supporting. With timeless records and a golden history, the Arizona Cardinals still hold a huge loyal fanbase, and this write-up will show why.
Arizona Cardinals Overview
Club Name: Arizona Cardinals
Year of Establishment: 1898
Logo: A stylized Cardinal Bird in red with a bright yellow beak
Previous Names:
Racine Normals (1898-1900)
Racine Cardinals (1901-1920)
Chicago Cardinals (1920-1959)
St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1987)
Phoenix Cardinals (1988-1993)
NickNames from Fans:
The Cards
The Redbirds
The Big Red
Fans are Known as:
The Red Sea
The Bird Gang
Number of NFL trophies: Two (1925, 1947)
Number of Super Bowl trophies: None
Current Owner Name: Michael Bidwill
Current Head Coach: Jonathan Gannon
Current Quarterback: Kyler Murray
History Of Arizona Cardinals Football Team
When were the Arizona Cardinals founded? Initially , the Arizona Cardinals was a Chicago-based football club that was established in the year 1898.
Throughout its history, the football club has changed its name several times and gone through several key events.
A prominent painting and building contractor from Chicago named Chris O’Brien established the club and named it Morgan Athletic Club. Later, the football club changed its name to Racine Normals and then the Racine Cardinals.
In 1920, Arizona Cardinals history had a significant turn. It changed its name again to Chicago cardinals and became the charter member of the APFA (American Professional Football Association). This APFA later became the NFL in 1922.
In 1960, the team moved to St. Louis and became St. Louis Cardinals. They stayed as St. Louis until they moved again to Arizona and changed their club name to Phoenix Cardinals in 1988.
Finally, in 1994, the team changed its name from a city-based name Phoenix cardinals to a state-based name Arizona Cardinals.
The current owner of this football club is Michael Bidwill. The ownership was passed down to him in 2019 when his father, Bid Bidwell, the former owner, died.
Arizona Cardinals Logo History
When the Arizona Cardinals were known as Morgan Athletic club, they didn’t have any club logo. Later, when the club name was changed to Chicago Cardinal’s it added an official logo in 1929 and it was a simple design featuring the cardinals perched on a football. The logo remained until 1946.
In 1947, the club introduced its emblem incorporating a more detailed illustration of a cardinal perched on a football with laces.
Later, in 1960, when the club moved to St. Louis and got the name St. Louis Cardinals, it adopted a new logo which was a cartoon-styled character with a red body and a cardinal head.
In 1962, the logo transitioned to a more serious depiction of a cardinal in flight. This design served as a stepping stone for the future logo.
The logo the club designed in 1970 was the introduction of a logo that closely resembles the current one. The logo featured a bold, stylized cardinal with a fierce expression.
The current logo you can see was adopted in 1994, and it’s a refined version of the 1970s logo. However, the team’s color which is red, white, and black have remained consistent throughout the logo’s evolution.
Arizona Cardinals Achievements
What is the longest-standing NFL franchise? Well, it’s the Arizona Cardinals that has been around for over 125 years. Apart from a long-standing franchise, the club has a rich history adorned with several notable achievements. A few of them are the following:
NFL Champions: They are two times NFL champions. Not to mention, both the trophies they won were before the superbowl era. The first trophy they raised was in 1925 and the second one in 1947. The superbowl was introduced in 1967.
Super Bowl Appearance: Another great achievement in their success bucket was the appearance in the Super Bowl XLIII of the 2008 season. Although they lost to the Pittersburg Steelers (27-23), participating in the superbowl was yet an achievement to mention.
Division Titles: So far, the Arizona Cardinals has won five division titles. They won NFC Eastern Division titles in 1974 and 1975, and division titles in 2008, 2009, and 2015.
Individual Player Accolades: One of the greatest receivers of all time, Larry Fitzgerald, had played his entire career for the Cardinals. Strong offense like Kurt Warner, Jackie Smith, and Aenes Williams or great Defense players like Larry Wilson and Simeon Rice have been a part of the Arizona Cardinals.
The Arizona Cardinals hasn’t won the superbowl yet. That’s a regret to mention till date, but hopefully, the Bird Gang will soon be a part of the great moment.
Arizona Cardinals Record Last 10 years
| Year | Wins | Losses | Ties | Finished Division | Playoffs |
| 2023 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 4th NFC West | No |
| 2022 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 2nd NFC West | Wild Card Round Loss |
| 2021 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3rd NFC West | Did not qualify |
| 2020 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 4th NFC West | Did not qualify |
| 2019 | 3 | 13 | 4th NFC West | Did not qualify | |
| 2018 | 8 | 8 | 1st NFC West | Divisional Round Loss | |
| 2017 | 11 | 6 | 2nd NFC West | Wild Card Round Loss | |
| 2016 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 2nd NFC West | Did not qualify |
| 2015 | 13 | 3 | 1st NFC West | Divisional Round Loss | |
| 2014 | 6 | 10 | 3rd NFC West | Did not qualify |
Arizona Cardinals current roster
Like other teams, the Arizona Cardinals Roster can be changed anytime. But, as of June 1, 2024, here is the current roster the team has showcased so far:
Quarterbacks(QB):
- Kyler Murray
- Clayton Tune
- Desmond Ridder
- Michael Wilson
Running Backs(RB):
- James Conner
- James White
- Tony Jones Jr.
- Emari Demercado
- DeeJay Dallas
Wide Receivers(WR):
- DeAndre Hopkins
- Marquise Brown
- A.J. Green
- Zach Pascal
- Greg Dortch
- Chris Moore
- Dan Chisena
- Andre Baccellia
- Michael Wilson
Tight Ends(TE):
- Trey McBride
- Travis Vokolek
- Blake Whiteheart
- Elijah Higgins
Offensive Line:
- Jonah Williams
- Will Hernandez
- Isaiah Adams
- Paris Johnson Jr.
Defensive Line(DE):
- J.J. Watt
- Zach Allen
- Victor Dimukeje (LB/DE)
Linebackers(LB):
- Isaiah Simmons
- Zaven Collins
- Tyreek Maddox-Williams
- Jesse Luketa
Defensive Backs:
- Budda Baker (SS)
- Jalen Thompson (FS)
- Byron Murphy (CB)
- Marco Wilson (CB)
- Jeff Gladney (CB)
- Kelvin Seymour (CB)
- Antonio Hamilton (CB)
Special Teams:
- Matt Prater (K)
- Andy Vertz (P)
- Ryan Sua (LS)
Home Turf: State Farm Stadium
As the club’s location kept changing, the home turf too. The first home stadium for the Cardinals was Comiskey Park (1920-1959). Then Metropolitan Stadium for one year till 1960, then gradually Busch Stadium, Busch Memorial Stadium, and Sun Devil Stadium in Arizona till 2005. Now, the official Home turn for the Arizona Cardinals is the State Farm Stadium.
The State Farm Stadium is situated in Glendale, Arizona. The door of the stadium was opened on August 1, 2006, and currently it has 63,400 seating capacity.
Arizona Cardinals Fan Base
As of June 1, the Arizona Cardinals have a huge fanbase, with 1.38 million Facebook followers and 1.1 million X(formerly Twitter) followers. The team’s fans are often known as The Bird Gang, The Cards, or the Red Sea.
The team’s fan culture is based on a strong sense of community. They are welcoming, passionate, resilient, and always ready to embrace the desert hit.
Regardless of the ups and downs of their favorite team, the fans’ craze and passion never seem to fade away. The fans are the core inspiration for the Arizona Cardinals and sit at the center of the team’s priorities.