Calais Campbell doesn't know if Sunday was his last NFL game. Retirement, or one more year, is a decision for another day. But when you aren't playing beyond the regular season, this is a time to take a breath – it has to be done. Regardless of whether a player is in Year 18, or Year 1.
"For you to give it your all, you have to relax," Campbell said after the Cardinals closed out their season in Los Angeles. "You take a little break, let yourself decompress, and when you come back, you build, build, build, build."
That's what the Cardinals need to do. Not next week. Probably not for a few weeks when it comes to the players. But building has to be the theme of the offseason for a team that thought they were ready to take a step in 2025 and unfortunately were not.
The reality of the season had set in for a while, long before this last trip to play the Rams. But, even though no one said it like this, it blindsided many. The expectations were there for a reason. Heck, it's a big reason why Campbell decided to return to Arizona, for instance.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett took a ton of hits Sunday, but said he was physically fine. "Just football," he said. Mentally? "It's a little bittersweet," he added. "You never want it to end."
Brissett got his chance to play. He doesn't know if that will happen next season. Campbell doesn't know if he's playing. Gannon promised change, starting from him, and it will be important, because the rest of the NFC West has been exceptional.
"We weren't up to their level, that's for sure," Gannon said.
The offseason awaits.
-- Trey McBride's big record-setting game came in Week 16, but he still had seven catches (for 65 yards). That wasn't enough to lead the league. He came into the game tied with Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, but Nacua had 10 catches.
Nacua ended up at 129 for the season, with McBride at 126 and Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase at 125. But McBride's year was titanic – 126 for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns, his NFL records, his franchise records, and, if you were listening live, one memorable line Sunday to a Rams player after his catch and hurdle. (NSFW, but it's out there on the internet if you want to look.)
-- Michael Wilson got 1,000 yards and he did it close to home. Wilson grew up in Simi Valley.
"My house is 30 minutes from here," he said. "I got a bunch of family, friends, my wife and daughter flew down for the game. It's really special."
-- Brissett, about the kind of player Wilson has become: "That's who you want to build your team around."
-- Josh Sweat wasn't healthy the last couple of games after hurting his ankle, but he took down Matthew Stafford for his 12th sack of the season, setting his career high. Sweat had 11 sacks in 2022 for the Eagles.
-- The Cardinals picked up kicker Joshua Karty late in the season, ostensibly to provide a second kicker this offseason, assuming the Cardinals retain restricted-free-agent-to-be Chad Ryland. Whether the Karty add impacted Ryland is hard to tell, but he had no problem with a 56-yard field goal on Sunday, hitting one that likely would have been good from 66.
-- Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker, who was coming off a concussion, was active on Sunday and also recorded his 1,000th career tackle.
-- Elijah Jones, the 2024 third-round cornerback who had been a healthy scratch much of the season, got his first defensive snaps of the year and had a couple of nice pass breakups (and near interception.) He also had three tackles. His playing time was necessary in part after Will Johnson left with a knee injury and while he jogged off, was held out of the second half.
-- The last word goes to Campbell, in discussing Wilson's and McBride's huge seasons: "I told Sweat, 'You ain't the best on the team no more, the way '14' is balling, '14' is the best player on the team.' He was like, '85 first.' I was like, OK. They are all incredible."
Thanks for reading this season. Stay tuned this offseason.
