With training camp set to begin in just a few more weeks, teams around the league are finalizing their camp rosters. That being said, it’s a fitting time to take a look at which three players on all 32 NFL teams are dubbed the “faces of the franchise” for the 2020 season. Those who have the greatest positive impact not just on a weekly basis on the field, but in the locker room, community, and for the team’s brand as a whole.
For this series, we will present the three most prominent figures for each team. In the case of the 2020 Arizona Cardinals, it features a rising star paired with two of the best players in the league at their positions. One thing for sure is that each player is an absolute game-changer each week as they hope to lead the Cardinals to their first playoff berth since 2015.
Faces of the 2020 Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray
When anybody hears the phrase “face of the franchise,” they immediately think of the quarterback. Looking back to that 2015 playoff team, it was veteran Carson Palmer at age 36 leading the way. While the run ended in a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers, the pieces of the current team began coming into place. And eventually, after a long and winding road, it led to the 2019 first overall pick Kyler Murray.
The former MLB draft pick looked like a future star for the Cardinals on his way to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019. Despite poor offensive line play and limited weapons, Murray finished with 24 total touchdowns and 4,266 yards through the air and ground combined. He showed that being 5’10” and 207 pounds would not limit his ability to make every throw, as well as extend plays with his legs. The former Heisman Trophy winner has the support of his teammates and fan base. Now the question becomes can he garner respect around the league in year two?
The 23-year old is an obvious candidate to take the famed “second-year leap” in 2020. An improved offensive line and receiving corps headlined by DeAndre Hopkins have Arizona as a playoff sleeper in 2020. Murray flashed the potential to be the “face of the franchise” for the Cardinals at some point in his career. If everything falls into place around him, it could be just a few months away.
DeAndre Hopkins
Larry Fitzgerald is going to be in the Hall of Fame. The 11-time Pro Bowl receiver is a Cardinal legend, with 17,083 yards and 120 touchdowns to his name. However, Fitzgerald will be 37 this season. He is no longer the number one receiver he once was, and while productive, it seems unlikely Christian Kirk will. Thankfully, the Cardinals will not need them to be. All because of the acquisition of superstar receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
The four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver was acquired by the Cardinals in March in a shocking move. Arizona was able to dump underperforming back David Johnson in the deal while adding arguably the best receiver in the game. An All-Pro receiver the past three seasons, Hopkins has totaled 4,115 yards and 31 touchdowns over the span. Having only missed two games over his seven-year career, the 27-year old receiver is quickly going to become a focal point of this offense.
Hopkins’ resume speaks for itself, and now he goes to an already talented offense. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s unit flashed its potential late last season. The run game was effective, led by Kenyan Drake. Not only does Hopkins join Fitzgerald and Kirk, but also second-year receivers Andy Isabella and Hakeem Butler. It is not every day an already talented offensive unit adds one of the best players to the game. Yet the Cardinals managed to do so on March 21st. And it is going to be fun for any fan to watch.
Chandler Jones
Moving onto the defensive side of the ball, after the 2019 season Chandler Jones had, it was an easy decision. Cornerback Patrick Peterson is an absolute rock and rookie linebacker Isaiah Simmons can do it all in his own right. Nevertheless, neither will be as important to the Cardinals’ playoff pursuit than Jones. The pass rusher totaled career highs with 19.0 sacks and eight forced fumbles while earning an 86.0 grade from PFF.
Elite pass rushers are hard to come by in the NFL, and the Cardinals have had one of the best for years now. Acquired from the New England Patriots back in 2016, Jones has amassed for 60.0 sacks and 17 forced fumbles in 64 games in Arizona. The three-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro pass rusher has shown no signs of slowing down and has never missed a game since joining the team.
That being said, it must be noted he is the Cardinals’ best and only established pass-rushing threat. The team finished with 40 sacks on the season, meaning Jones made up almost half of them. Finishing second with 5.5 sacks was Terrell Suggs – who was cut before the season ended. Free-agent signings Jordan Phillips and Devon Kennard are going to improve the unit. But nobody on the defense is more important to the success of the 2020 Arizona Cardinals than Chandler Jones.
