The Cardinals have been officially ruled out of playoff contention.
Inevitably, the Arizona Cardinals have officially been eliminated from playoff contention with a 45-29 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers, who secured the NFC West title with this victory.
The Cardinals currently hold a 3-11 record for the season, experiencing no victories in five divisional games and posting a 2-7 record against NFC opponents. In terms of draft position, they rank as the third-worst team in the league. While the Carolina Panthers hold a 2-12 record, the New England Patriots share a 3-11 record with the Cardinals but have a weaker strength of schedule.
Given the absence of quarterback Kyler Murray due to his recovery from a torn ACL, the Cardinals’ entry into the season with a rookie head coach and general manager, along with the loss of key players in the offseason and the lack of notable additions, had already tempered expectations for a playoff run.
Now that they are officially mathematically eliminated, the coaching staff and leadership face the challenge of maintaining the focus of the players on the roster.
