I have returned to my rightful place on the mailbag, and I hope everyone isn't too disappointed about that. Zach did a great job last week. But time to get back to our regularly scheduled program. Don't forget to send a question for a future mailbag with at least a first name and last initial.

From Marshall Stone:

"Hello Darren. Thank you for all you do and happy holidays! Injuries, injuries injuries. We seem to have them more than most teams. We play on an excellent grass field. I'm sure we practice on a grass surface too. What are your thoughts on why we have so many injuries every season? It is a hard pill to swallow that they are just part of the game considering how so many of our starters are out or on IR. Do you think todays professional athletes can overtrain?"

I have no science to back this up, but yes, I think there is a chance they overtrain. I also think, again, with no real evidence so take it for what it is worth, that too many athletes these days grow up specializing in one sport. You do that to a body, with the same motions over years and years, there is a chance that it can be an issue. But I also believe the NFL is a brutal biz and as players get bigger and stronger, collisions can be a problem but so can bigger and stronger. Bones and ligaments were originally created only to handle so much.

From Dalton Cartwright:

"Hey Darren. I thought Darius Robinson had a really good game vs ATL. With the injury to Sweat, is there any thought to moving him to big outside pass rush? Before you say he's too big, he took pass rush reps at the Senior Bowl and he was DOMINANT. I dare say his Senior Bowl performance is the reason why he's an Arizona Cardinal, so why not lean into that belief? Let's not have another Haason Reddick where an elite talent was misused to our detriment."

I don't know if there is any thought to moving him outside, although I am not sure it works in the defense they currently use, where sometimes that guy has to drop in coverage. I'm not going to pretend like I know if he would succeed in such a role; you were hoping that with his athleticism he'd be able to provide that inside push that teams need these days. At this point I just want to see Robinson trend upward in his play. I did think he did some good things against the Falcons; that needs to continue wherever he is on the line.

From Calvin Jacobs:

"Hi Darren,

Despite the feelings of hopelessness surrounding the team, there is hope, and there's a blueprint on how to turn the franchise around WITHOUT wholesale changes: Da Bears! The long-time lowly Chicago Bears, this previous offseason, went all-in on the OL.

2023 Round 1 - RT Darnell Wright
2025 Round 2 - LT Ozzy Trapilo
2025 - Traded for RG Joe Thuney
2025 - Traded for LG Jonah Jackson
2025 - FA signing - C Drew Dalman

Yes it's expensive, yes they needed to exercise valuable draft capital, but was it worth it? You darn right it was. If we fix the OL, I genuinely believe Jacoby can give us a good season next year."

The Bears did do an excellent job with a basically one-year overhaul of the line, and it turned out they hit everywhere. Yes, it can be done. They also already had a good defense in place, a QB they knew would be in place, and a new coach who had shown playcalling excellence for years in Detroit. So there are a lot of factors.

From Keith C:

"Happy Holidays! I do have a question but first a comment: I wanted to recognize you and the media team. The insight into the human element frankly is a big reason why I continue to have interest in the team spanning all these years (it sure isn't for the winning). Great example: like most, I was apoplectic when Emari Demercado messed up in the Titans game. But the interviews and anecdotes made me realize he was just as upset about it and yep, we all screw up at times. One small example of many - but kudos to you and your team for building that foundation of support.

"Now to the question: the Falcons game was yet another in a long line of games where key players are carted off. I don't know how any coaching staff can create wins from a team consisting of backups to backups. Does that create enough questions so that it's actually more prudent to not make wholesale changes at the top?"

We appreciate the kind words. Players get paid a ton of money and they know the slings and arrows are part of the gig. But money doesn't make you less human (OK, I have some examples out there in the world but I won't go down that road today) and at the same time, being a fan shouldn't make you less human either -- and too often it feels like fans can be that way when angry.

As for the injuries and what it means for the overall decisions that will be made this offseason, I will be honest. I don't know. I think there are always reasons to back up whatever decision might be made, either way. I am also OK, and I know not everyone is like this, to let the season finish and try and take everything into account.

From Jay Schubert:

"Please no. In last week's mailbag it was mentioned to add more technology to get calls right. I have heard many ex-football analysts for networks claim that there is a penalty that could be called somewhere on the field on almost any play. If that is true and technology picks those penalties up, football games would quickly become a boring game of penalty calls. Rather than add more technology, has the NFL considered full-time paid officials that would spend the entire off-season training and re-certifying? Any idea what officiating teams are considered by players and coaches to be best in the NFL?"

I'm going to start with the last question and say I don't know that. But the "let's make officials full-time" has been a thing for as long as I have covered the NFL. And while I don't have a problem with it, my first thought is what does it help? Almost all the calls that people freak out about are subjective -- meaning that all the training in the world doesn't necessarily mean the calls would change or be better. The backward pass 2-pointer by the Seahawks? Do full-time officials navigate that any better? The OPIs at the end of the Lions-Steelers game? I'm going to say full-time doesn't make a difference there either.

From Justin Lang:

"Sandwich technique: positive, negative, positive. Denzel Burke looks like a gem. Maybe never a star, but he's a scrappy major-effort guy, and I could see him developing into a solid, long-term No. 2 CB. Elijah Jones is a third-round pick and is being leapfrogged. My issue is not necessarily with Elijah, it is with the 2024 draft class. How do you miss that badly? Finally, Will Johnson had what I thought the best game of his career so far. He looked soft last week but he rebounded nicely. What happened?"

Lots of time watching the secondary here. I do think Burke has been steady, which is why the coaches have liked playing him. But yes, it also reflects on the other cornerbacks they have drafted. You need more. Will Johnson seemed to struggle in Houston, so maybe he just watched that tape -- as did his coaches -- and realized he needed to ramp up. As far as the 2024 draft class, no one can argue the Cardinals need more from those players, especially when you get 12 bites at the apple. We've talked a bunch about Darius Robinson and Marvin Harrison Jr., but up and down, you hope you get more hits. I am a believer in trying to get to a third season before fully feeling some kind of way about a class, but that time is coming quickly for that group.

From Sander P:

"Hi Darren, always looking forward to the mailbag each week. I know you like hypotheticals so here is one for you. 😉 Last week Bengals QB Joe Burrow looked almost depressed in interviews, talking about how football is becoming less and less fun with all the losses and injuries he is sustaining. He is clearly getting unhappy in Cincinnati. A trade between both parties looks like it could be a good scenario. It would probably cost us some draft capital in the trade, but this seems like the best option."

I appreciate the kind words, and you do know we love hypotheticals around here. (I mean, I think I deal with them OK whereas JG wants nothing to do with them, but we digress.) But I may have to veer into the sarcastic here, Sander. You think it's the best option that the Cardinals end up with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL? Why, I dare say you would be correct!

But let's be serious here. If I am the Bengals, I am not trading Burrow unless he pulls a Palmer. Not right now. Not after paying those two receivers so Burrow would be happy.

From Walter Greener:

"Good evening Darren. First off, thank you for all the questions you answer and just staying positive through this whole season. What I have been missing a lot lately, is the locker room celebrations. I noticed when Jonathan Gannon took over as head coach, we do not get those clips as much as we did with previous coaches. Maybe you know the answer to this, maybe you don't. I was hoping you might know as to why Gannon does not do locker room celebrations? Obviously this season was not one too celebrate and hopefully this will change next year, whether he is our coach still or not. I miss seeing those videos. Thank you for taking the time and doing these articles. Merry Christmas. All-time Cardinal fan and have the tattoo to prove it."

Hey Walter. You are not the first to broach this topic, although it has been a couple years since it has been brought up. Essentially, Gannon sees the locker room as a sacred area for the team, and inviting the outside in, even for a celebration video, is not something he wants. I do not see that changing while he is the coach. But thanks for being a fan, and sticking through a trying season.

From D Tom:

"It seems the Cardinals are under the darkest cloud in the NFL. I was wondering if the Cards would consider a new training staff or routine. I also wonder if our scouting department is as well funded as other teams? How much control does Gannon and Monti Ossenfort have over the scouting department and how well it is funded?"

Gannon was asked about the health part of the team and he said after the game "I'm not there right now," meaning he wants to get to the end of the season before evaluating (or at least saying anything publicly.) As far as the scouting department, it is funded just fine, similar to most other teams, and it is built and run exactly how Ossenfort wants it to be done.

From Terence Roche:

"Darren, this may seem like a silly question but it has to do with the turf at the stadium. Today, two players went out with what look like serious non-contact injuries. others slipped, including on a kickoff. Do you think it could be causing some of the injuries the team has seen this year? Thanks as always."

While I'm never going to say never, and I don't know exactly why certain injuries are occurring, no I don't think the grass was to blame, for instance, with the Williams and Nolen injuries this past game. I think it was horrible luck. And yes, feet can get stuck in artificial turf, but most of the time with non-contact on grass, I believe it's a body part just giving out.

From Mark Georgetti:

"Hey, Darren. What are the odds, in your opinion, of the Cards making a coordinator (OC/DC) change after the season concludes. If so, is one more likely to go than the other?"

I don't know if I'd lay odds on any particular thing other than to say, some changes are inevitably coming in some form. You can't have a record like this and not have changes. What they might be -- or not be -- is discussed in rooms I don't get to be in. I've been in this business long enough, however, not to be surprised in any moves in any direction.

From Pat Gotfried:

"Darren, I haven't seen you report on it yet, but defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere is leaving after this season to take the DL job at Michigan State. I respectfully think its a strategic move, perhaps knowing he might not be back next year. The DL has disappointed me this year, I am curious about the offensive line. Yes our OL has been banged up this year, but it was obvious that when all our OL starters were healthy they were a shadow of themselves."

Right now, Michigan State has announced nothing about DeBo and Jonathan Gannon has declined to comment, one of the reasons that has not come up. I do think being an assistant coach, whether it is the NFL or college, can be thankless and rough on both the coaches and their families, and I've always been a proponent of them doing what they feel is best for their career. As for the offensive line, again, it's like the previous question -- I fully expect changes to be made. What those are, no way to know at the moment.

From Mike T:

"As a longtime Cardinal fan I have seen this season play out before. As it's said it's always darkest before the dawn. As fans we know the QB is the key to our success. Look at our past QBs (Plummer, Warner, Palmer, Murray) that have gotten us to the playoffs. Why would we give up on Kyler?"

He hasn't left yet, although I understand the talking point of what's to come. I'll say this about your specific question: whether Murray remains for 2026 or not, I don't know if you'd say any team has "given up" on a player when the player had been on the team for seven years. The Cardinals know a quarterback is the key to success. Every team does. But figuring out that quarterback doesn't always come smoothly. You mention Warner. He was on the team and they drafted Matt Leinart. And then Warner was benched to a chorus of boos at State Farm Stadium. So, yeah.

From Star Catalina:

"With Hayden Conner back healthy, does he get a crack at a starting guard job? I can't speak to Jon Gaines' performance out there, but I know Evan Brown and Isiah Adams have not been great. Throw Conner out there (along with his Texas teammate Christian Jones) and see what happens. I know you don't like 'is this the time to experiment for next year' questions but this is absolutely the time to experiment for next year."

Star, there are a lot of questions I don't like but I don't think I've ever had an issue with "experiment" questions. In this particular case, Gaines too needs playing time, because, with all his injuries, they are still trying to figure out what they have in him (and he's done well in a small sample size.) Conner was set back with his knee and how much practice time he missed. Might he play? I wouldn't rule it out. But I won't be surprised if Adams and Gaines remain starters because those are the guys they most want to see getting reps and getting analyzed for the future.

From Lynn H:

"Long-time Cardinal fan, back to the 1950s when they were in Chicago. I give, no mas, I surrender, etc. Why not give Jon Gruden the reins? He's a proven football person."

I mean, with all due respect to Gruden, you can't find someone who is "proven" that has been in the game more recently?

From Ben Lee:

"Tom Brady said he could still play, DONT YOU DARE SKIP MY QUESTION! We are in need of a QB for 2026. I've watched enough Brady/Lebron/Calais to question the elderly. If we were to build an elite OL to protect him, tell me we wouldn't fall over ourself to sign the GOAT. I'm old enough to remember when we were in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes. I watched his plane land at Sky Harbor from my dorm at ASU."

I'm old enough to remember being in the building when Manning visited. So, OK. I don't think I can make this more clear: The Cardinals would not fall all over themselves to sign a QB who would be 49 before next season started and who definitely was showing signs of physical slowing before he retired after the 2022 season including a game at State Farm Stadium. (Brady won that game but that Cardinals team was not great. No offense, Trace McSorley.)

If you weren't gonna grab Kurt Warner in 2014, you're not chasing Brady now.

From Mike Torres:

"Mr. Urban, we need a distraction from AZ Sports. I remember awhile back you posted a snippet from your time at the East Valley Tribune. It looks like you scrapbooked a lot of your articles, which is very cool. From your time as a more traditional sports journalist, is there a story that was particularly memorable you worked on, or a story you had to go above and beyond to capture? Chef's choice. Thanks."

Wow. That's a question that has me going down memory lane. One comes to mind first, but unfortunately, that story will have to be held from public consumption, perhaps until I have shuffled off this mortal coil. Definitely until after I no longer have a boss.

I have had the chance to experience some cool things. It was after I came to the team, but Larry Fitzgerald invited me to his house in Minnesota one offseason to do a big story and watch him work out with other NFL players. I loved doing the oral history of the McCown-to-Poole TD in 2003 that knocked the Vikings from the playoffs. But in my previous life? I worked hard on a huge story about Edgerrin James when he first got to the Cardinals (and got rap star Trick Daddy on the phone, and he gave great quotes.) In a different kind of way, I had to go above and beyond for this Rod Tidwell story. (IYKYK).

But as I think about it, there was a story that is memorable, not because it was hard to track down but because it has stuck with me, was a story I wrote about Walt Hoffman. This was back in my days as a high school writer in the late 1990s in Scottsdale. Hoffman was a retired teacher from the Scottsdale School District who spent years going to all the sporting events at the Scottsdale high schools taking photos at freshmen, JV and varsity games -- all sports -- just so he could give them to the athletes and their parents. So many people knew him in that world.

Walt got cancer. And I wanted to do a story about him, and all he had done for all the kids over the years. I sat at one high school volleyball game with him (he was too sick to be taking photos, so he was just sitting off to the side corner) talking/interviewing him. He was talking about an upcoming surgery he had coming, one he wasn't sure he'd survive, describing the classical music he wanted playing in the background in case that was the last thing he heard. And a mom and her daughter came over at one point to thank him for everything he had done.

That one sticks with me.