Not much to say other than let's do a mailbag. Don't forget to send a question for a future mailbag with at least a first name and last initial.
From John Turilli:
"Well Darren, I really feel for you and your staff. Are you at a level thinking 'If we can just win one game' mode? I have watched every minute of every game this season and just hope for maybe one more win this season. One human trait I have figured out is that if a worker/player cannot learn or feel profitability/winning they never will and is something that cannot be trained/coached. The old saying 'You cannot change a human being to perform like yourself.' The draft must be very hard on any GM or coach. My biggest question is how many all-pros were picked in the last three drafts in the entire NFL. Only all-pros. Thank you for this tough season of info and this forum."
I mean, you go into every game thinking about that game. At least I do. If they win, we will chronicle. If they lose, we will chronicle. I 100 percent understand the emotions of the fans, especially in a season like this. But being as embedded as I am here, my life would be miserable if I let the emotions take command one way or the other.
As for your question, there are so many "all-pro" teams that it's hard to make that list. I tend to look at the AP team as "the" all-pro team; in that case, since the 2022 draft (2022, 2023, 2024, because we don't know 2025 yet), I found 13 players who got voted to either the first- or second-team AP All-Pro from those three drafts.
From Kenneth Schroeder:
"Greetings from Nebraska. I'm sure you'll get a lot of questions regarding Michael Wilson, and I will be one of them. Wilson has produced more in three games as WR1 than Marvin Harrison Jr. has in a season-plus, but as we saw last week, Harrison is still in that role. I agree our team and offense is better with Harrison in it, but how can we keep putting him over a guy that has produced this much? Thanks."
It's a fair question. I don't know what will happen when and if Harrison returns to the lineup (a heel can be a pain in the rear; Max Melton has missed multiple games already with a heel injury and time is running out this season.) It did feel like Wilson went into the background when Harrison returned to play against the Bucs two weeks ago before getting hurt again. I don't know how the Cardinals will approach it, but first, Harrison needs to return to game action. There's no reason both can't flourish together.
From Heath J:
"Do you think Trey McBride getting his five catches per game is an actual conversation that's happening on the sidelines? I noticed that fifth catch to Trey was a screen, very similar to his first TD last year after the long drought. It's pretty much a guaranteed gimmie catch, which is why they do it. But I'm curious if the intention behind it is to keep the streak alive. Did you see the reaction last year when Mike Evans got his last catch in the last game to reach 1,000 yards? Fans, players, everyone celebrated. When there's little else to celebrate, hopefully the team recognizes this historic streak and is intentional in keeping it going. It matters to us."
This is a two-sided kind of answer, Heath. Is football, in-game, sometimes made aware of certain statistical things that can be reached? Absolutely. Was that screen in part to get that fifth catch out of the way? I believe yes, although it was still successful and made a positive impact. In the general course of a game, it's hard to see McBride not getting five catches as good as he is and with how much they need his production. But they know, just like it got to be a thing when Larry Fitzgerald got a quick pass in the first quarter many weeks just to keep his catch-every-game streak alive, regardless of what happened the rest of the way.
From Jim Kreiger:
"Hi Darren. Really enjoyed that article you posted about Jacoby texting the WRs ideas from watching film and routes. Maybe Kyler did those types of things too, and we just don't know it. But there is the reality of optics. Do we see it? It's what a QB is supposed to do. If Kyler was in fact doing all those things, show the people, make it easy on yourself. There's no question about Jacoby because seeing is believing. That's all I'm saying. Wish Kyler the best wherever he goes, he's a good dude. Don't know how long Jacoby will be the quarterback, but he has provided the blueprint of how a franchise QB carries himself. Thanks."
Let me state for the record that anything done by any QB (or anyone, for that matter) just to "show" people seems disingenuous to me. There are a lot of ways to be successful, and there are way too many times Murray was successful to act like his way never worked. I don't think it's particularly fair to either guy to play Murray against Brissett, although it seems like both sides like to do this. Praising one shouldn't mean it's an insult to the other.
That said, Brissett has his way to communicate and sees the value in it, picked up by some of the high-profile QBs he has played with in his career. With Michael Wilson specifically, it sure seems to help.
From Mike Tomas:
"Do you think there's any chance Mike Tomlin coaches the Cardinals next year? Was watching the Steelers/Bills game and listening to the fire Tomlin chants, and thought those Steelers fans don't know how good they have it. I get it's a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately type of league and sure the Steelers played terrible that game, but two former Steelers coaches have come to the desert and each almost brought us a Super Bowl."
The Cardinals have a coach, and unless something changes, Jonathan Gannon is going to be that coach. The Tomlin discussion with the Steelers is interesting. But Pittsburgh beat the Ravens and are in first place. What it really reinforces is that every single fanbase, when things aren't going perfectly, are going to find things to be upset about. Since most NFL seasons don't go perfectly, that pretty much includes all 32 fanbases. (Not saying fans don't have the right to be upset. Just saying it's never unique to one team.)
From Jay Bee:
"Is there a tip line-type email for a fan to send tape of a player to the Cardinals staff? I can't imagine there would be but if there was I'd be sending them UDFA QB Seth Henigan's highlights. The Falcons just worked him out Tuesday of week 14 and this 6-foot-3 QB looks like he's worth seeing in person. Thanks for your contributions Darren, we appreciate you."
And I appreciate you, Jay. As far as a fan sending tape to the Cardinals for a player to check out ... I'm gonna say that's probably not a road any front office would want to go down. Don't take it personally. But I will say this: I would be shocked if the Cardinals don't know about Henigan -- or any player, to be honest -- and already have an evaluation of whether they'd want to work him out or not.
From Mike D:
"Hi Darren, do you or does anyone know what is going on with Kyler? Is he done for the year or forever? I know this management team doesn't like to share info but the lack of info this year is crazy. Thanks for answering the fan's questions."
I mean, no he's not done forever. Definitely done for the season, and what happens next year, that's all TBD. I think decisions have to be made, probably on both sides. It's not the first time a team and a quarterback have been in this kind of situation and it won't be the last. But one of the reasons there aren't a lot of answers right now is that all the answers aren't known yet, to be honest.
From Sebas Quiros:
"Hey Darren. Last week Drew Petzing said he wasn't particularly worried about the comment Todd Bowles said saying he knew a couple of the plays the Cardinals were running. Saying you don't care the other team knew exactly what you were running doesn't sound great. It's a basic principal that you never want your opponent to know exactly what you're calling. Sure they may know it's a run or a pass or that you might target someone in particular but the play itself you never want them to know. What is your opinion? I don't know if I'm being way to swayed by this season but I keep thinking about it and I can't process."
In all honesty, my first reaction to it was how much did the Bucs really know? You are assuming what Bowles said was about the exact play, but what if he was talking about one of your other guesstimations, that it was run or pass, or who the ball might go to. Also, I would be surprised if teams don't know what is coming more often than we know about, Cardinals defense too, but the coach (or players) just don't say anything about it. To your first point, though, Petzing's public reaction doesn't bother me. How it influences his work going forward matters, but that isn't going to be out there for public consumption.
From Joe Cardea:
"Darren, I'm not a Kyler hater or Kyler believer. But what year were the Cards supposed to be able to walk away from this contact? I'd stick to that plan. If he can bounce back next year and rehab his trade value and give the Cards a chance at on of the QBs in the 2027 draft then so be it. If they can get trade value this year and there's a QB they like I'd pull the trigger now. What do you think?"
I think you encapsulate everything the Cardinals have to consider going forward. There is a lot to think about, both with what Murray can bring you behind center, what you want the team to look/play like in 2026, and more. I'll say this about the contract. Teams across the NFL know how to deal with the salary cap and contracts. That's not just about Murray but every team and every player. GMs know how to maneuver if they want to maneuver.
From Charley Sylvia:
"Cardinal fans are going to flip out on me even suggesting this because we saw years of Steve Keim burning first-round picks on inside linebacker trying to find another Darryl Washington (who is a free agent, by the way.) With all my heart I think the No. 1 problem on defense is the ILBs. The DL gets so much heat, and I don't think that's fair. Draft an ILB round 1. I kid you not. Arvell Reese looks like a stud. He's a true blue chip ILB. I think of Luke Kuechly. Bobby Wagner. Fred Warner. Daryl Washington (available). Elite ILBs are often the most important players on your D. We need one desperately. If Round 1 is too rich for your blood, what say you we draft an OT round 1, and immediately take the best ILB round 2?"
That's a bold strategy, Cotton. I get the idea about having a next level inside linebacker. To get a Wagner, a Kuechly, a Warner, a Patrick Willis, it means a lot. But you need to find the right guy. Can't miss like with Simmons. As for drafting, unless something changes, the Cardinals will have a top-10 pick. Feels like offensive line is going to be a heavy favorite in round one (see what you're making me do, talking draft in December!), but again, if you truly feel another Kuechly is there early, then grab him.
From Christopher C:
"Why is everybody making a big deal out of Jacoby Bursette? He's only won one game Kyler 2 and had closer games than Jacoby Bursette ever did. So I don't know why are they not allowing Kyle Murray to play when we have a better chance with him. And why don't they get rid of Drew Pezzing, who isn't designing the place to the strength of the quarterback?"
From Elliot Hyde:
"Hi Darren. Obviously a disappointing season. Felt like a team that was better than last year on paper ended up losing the identity it had built over the last few seasons. I'd love to hold your feet to the fire and get you to rank these following options from most impactful to least impactful when considering the causes.
A) Klayton Adams leaving
B) Injuries to key players
C) The players that left (e.g. Kyzir White)
D) Not getting enough from our draft class
E) Teams figuring out our tactics"
Yeah, just like I'm never going to make a straight record prediction I'm not sure ranking these does me any good. But I can talk about them. I'll start with the last one first, because I don't think teams "figured out" anything as much as the run game, which was really good even though teams knew the Cardinals liked to run the ball, is not good enough. Hasn't been all season, and it's fallen further as the Cardinals have have faced big deficits over the last month or so.
I don't see White's departure as a significant factor. Injuries yes. But as Jacoby Brissett said with that, "this is the NFL." We'll never really know for sure about Adams' impact, but at the same time, his chance to get an offensive coordinator wasn't going to be prevented, and please miss me with the talk the Cardinals should've made a change in-house. No one was thinking that at the time. As for the draft class, I've liked what I have seen from Nolen and Johnson specifically, but they have been hurt. You'd like to see more impact from Burch and Simon, but it is early too, and in Simon's case, losing Mack Wilson matters.
From Mike T:
"Hello Darren. Recently both local and national talking heads predicting that Kyler Murray won't be taking snaps for the Redbirds in 2026 season. It would be a BIG mistake to not taking advantage of the superior football skills Kyler possesses. Another example is Ben Johnson, his success both at Detroit and Chicago with the offense minded coach developing the QB skills We need to hire an offensive coordinator who will develop Kyler's skills. What about hiring Kurt Warner as the Cardinals new offensive coordinator?"
Well, the main reason is that Kurt has no desire to coach. Would he be a consultant? Maybe. But he doesn't want to devote his life to coaching, which is what it would take. And frankly, it's tough to ask NFL coaches to lean on a consultant when they got hired to do the same job. It's funny -- when Warner first retired, it felt like the Cardinals fans begging for him to be the QB coach or OC was constant. Thanks for bringing it out of mothballs.
From Ray Martin:
"This is my second time writing to the mailbag over the years. Cards fan since St. Louis days with Charlie Johnson at QB. I think Monti is an improvement over prior GM and has team trending in a better direction. I do think they need a different offensive coordinator. I do remember you scolded folks for editorializing and not asking a question. So, what is for favorite pie? Mine is coconut cream. Go Cards and draft well."
Ray, get serious.
No one's favorite pie is coconut cream.
