Arizona Cardinals facts for kids

The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona. They play in the National Football League (NFL) as part of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. Their home games are played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, which is a suburb near Phoenix.

The team started in Chicago way back in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club. They joined the NFL as one of its first teams on September 17, 1920. This makes the Cardinals the oldest professional football team that has been running continuously in the United States. They are also one of only two original NFL teams still playing today, the other being the Chicago Bears.

In 1960, the team moved to St. Louis, where people often called them the "Football Cardinals" to avoid mixing them up with the city's baseball team. Then, before the 1988 season, the team moved to Tempe, Arizona, near Phoenix. They played there for 18 seasons at Sun Devil Stadium. In 2006, the Cardinals moved to their current home field in Glendale.

The Cardinals have won two NFL championships, both when they were based in Chicago. Their first win was in 1925, and their second was in 1947. They even played in the Super Bowl in 2009, but they lost a very close game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team has made it to the playoffs 11 times and has won seven playoff games. They are also the only NFL team that has never lost a playoff game at home!

Quick facts for kids Arizona Cardinals
Current season
Logo Wordmark Uniforms
Basic info
Established	1898; 127 years ago (1898)
Colors	Cardinal red, white, black, silver
Mascot	Big Red
Personnel
Owner(s)	Michael Bidwill
Chairman	Michael Bidwill
President	Michael Bidwill
General manager	Monti Ossenfort
Head coach	Jonathan Gannon
Nicknames
The Cards The Redbirds The Big Red The Football Cardinals (during St. Louis tenure, 1960–1987) The Gridbirds Birdgang/Red Sea (fanbase)
Team history
Morgan Athletic Club (1898) Racine Normals (1899–1900) Racine Cardinals (1901–1906, 1913–1919) Chicago Cardinals (1920–1943, 1945–1959) Card-Pitt (1944) St. Louis Cardinals (1960–1987) Phoenix Cardinals (1988–1993) Arizona Cardinals (1994–present)
Home fields
Normal Park (1920, 1926) Comiskey Park (1922, 1929, 1939) Wrigley Field (1931) Busch Stadium (1960) Busch Memorial Stadium (1966) Sun Devil Stadium (1988) State Farm Stadium (2006–present) Temporary stadiums 1944 due to shortage of players during World War II (temporary merger with Pittsburgh Steelers): Forbes Field (three games) 1959 before relocation to St. Louis: Soldier Field (four games) Metropolitan Stadium (two games)
League / conference affiliations
Independent (1898–1906, 1913–1919) National Football League (1920–present) Western Division (1933–1949) American Conference (1950–1952) Eastern Conference (1953–1969) Century Division (1967–1969) National Football Conference (1970–present) NFC East (1970–2001) NFC West (2002–present)
Championships
League championships: 2 NFL championships (pre-1970 AFL–NFL merger) (2) 1925, 1947
Conference championships: 1 NFC: 2008
Division championships: 7 NFL Western: 1947, 1948 NFC East: 1974, 1975 NFC West: 2008, 2009, 2015
Playoff appearances (11)
NFL: 1947, 1948, 1974, 1975, 1982, 1998, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2021
Owner(s)
Chris O'Brien (1898–1929) David Jones (1929–1933) Charles Bidwill (1933–1947) Violet Bidwill Wolfner (1947–1962) Charles Bidwill Jr. and Bill Bidwill (1962–1972) Bill Bidwill (1972–2019) Michael Bidwill (2019–present)

History of the Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals have a very long and interesting history, starting over a century ago!

Chicago Cardinals (1920–1959)

The Morgan Athletic Club (pictured c. 1900), the team that became the Arizona Cardinals

The team began in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago. A man named Chris O'Brien bought the team and moved it to Normal Field. They were called the Racine Normals for a short time. In 1901, O'Brien bought used jerseys that were a faded red color, which he called "Cardinal red." That's how the team became the Racine Street Cardinals.

In 1920, the team became one of the first members of the American Professional Football Association (APFA), which later became the NFL. In 1922, they changed their name to the Chicago Cardinals to avoid confusion with another team.

Winning the NFL Championship (1925)

In 1925, the Cardinals were awarded the NFL Championship. This happened after another team, the Pottsville Maroons, was suspended for breaking a league rule. The Cardinals had played extra games that season, which also caused some debate.

Winning Another NFL Championship (1947)

After World War II, the Cardinals played in two NFL championship games in a row against the Philadelphia Eagles. They won the championship in 1947, which was their first win in a championship game format. They tried to win again in 1948 but lost in a snowy game in Philadelphia.

By the late 1950s, the team was struggling and losing fans to their rivals, the Chicago Bears. The owner decided it was time to move the team to a new city.

St. Louis Cardinals (1960–1987)

Because a new football league was forming, the NFL allowed the Cardinals to move to St. Louis, Missouri. There, they became the St. Louis Cardinals. People in St. Louis called them the "Big Red" or "Football Cardinals" so they wouldn't be confused with the city's famous baseball team.

During their 28 years in St. Louis, the Cardinals only made it to the playoffs three times (1974, 1975, and 1982). They never hosted a playoff game or won one. The team's performance and an aging stadium led to fewer fans attending games. So, the owner, Bill Bidwill, decided to move the team again, this time to Arizona.

Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1988–present)

After the 1987 NFL season, the team moved to Phoenix and was first called the Phoenix Cardinals. On March 17, 1994, they changed their name to the Arizona Cardinals, which it remains today.

In 1998, the Cardinals made the playoffs for the first time in 16 years! They even won their first playoff game since 1947, beating the Dallas Cowboys. Their playoff run ended in the next round against the Minnesota Vikings.

In 2008, led by quarterback Kurt Warner, the Cardinals had an amazing playoff run. They won three playoff games in a row, including the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. This meant they reached the Super Bowl for the very first time in their history! They played in Super Bowl XLIII and lost a very close game, 27–23, to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final seconds.

The Cardinals continued to have strong seasons, winning their division in 2009 and 2015. In 2015, they had their best regular-season record in Arizona, going 13–3. They won their first playoff game that year against the Green Bay Packers in overtime. However, they lost in the NFC Championship Game.

More recently, in 2021, the Cardinals went 11–6 and returned to the playoffs, but they lost in the Wild Card round.

Logos and Uniforms

Phoenix Cardinals uniform: 1989–1995

Arizona Cardinals uniform: 1996–2004

Arizona Cardinals uniform: 2005–2022

Since 1947, the Cardinals have had a logo featuring a cardinal bird on a football.

When the team moved to Arizona in 1988, the flag of Arizona was added to their uniform sleeves. In 1994, for the NFL's 75th anniversary, the Cardinals wore special "throwback" uniforms that looked like their old Chicago jerseys from the 1920s.

Chicago Cardinals logo.

In 2005, the team made big changes to their look. The cardinal-head logo was updated to look more modern. Black became an accent color again, and new lines were added to the jerseys and pants. They can wear red or white pants with their red or white jerseys.

For many years, the Cardinals would wear their white jerseys at home during the first half of the season in Arizona. This was because it gets very hot there, and white jerseys are cooler than darker ones. However, when they moved to State Farm Stadium in 2006, which has a closed roof and air conditioning, they started wearing their red jerseys at home full-time.

In 2010, the Cardinals introduced a new alternate black jersey. In 2017, they debuted an all-black uniform for the NFL's "Color Rush" program. Starting in 2022, both black uniforms were worn with an alternate black helmet.

Before the 2023 season, the Cardinals showed off brand new uniforms! Now, they mostly wear all-red uniforms at home and all-white uniforms on the road. They also have all-black uniforms as an alternate option. The new helmets have cool silver flakes, and the black helmet has red flakes in it.

Fans

Cardinals' guard Ted Larsen visits servicemen at Papago Military Reservation

Fans of the Cardinals are often called the Red Sea or the Bird Gang. Many famous people, like Blake Shelton and Jordin Sparks, are Cardinals fans. The team also has a special connection with military families, especially after the tragic death of former safety Pat Tillman. The Cardinals often visit Luke Air Force Base to support Arizona's servicemen and women.

Rivalries

The Cardinals have some exciting rivalries with other NFL teams!

Divisional Rivalries

Los Angeles Rams

This is the oldest and most intense rivalry for the Cardinals within their division. The teams first played each other in 1937. Both teams have even played in St. Louis at different times in their history. This rivalry has become very strong again recently as both teams have been successful. The Los Angeles Rams currently lead the series.

Seattle Seahawks

This is a newer rivalry that started in 2002 when both the Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks moved into the NFC West division. It has become one of the most exciting rivalries in the NFL, with both teams often battling for the top spot in the division. The Seattle Seahawks currently lead the series. The two teams have not yet played each other in the playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers

The Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers first met in 1951, but their rivalry really grew when they were both placed in the NFC West in 2002. This rivalry can be very back-and-forth. For example, the 49ers won many games between 2009 and 2013, but then the Cardinals won eight games in a row from 2014 to 2018. The San Francisco 49ers currently lead the series. These two teams have also not yet met in the playoffs.

Historic Rivalries

Chicago Bears

This is a very old rivalry between the Cardinals and the Chicago Bears. These are the only two teams that have been in the NFL since it started in 1920! Back then, the Bears were called the Decatur Staleys, and the Cardinals were the Racine Cardinals. For 38 years, their games were known as "The Battle of Chicago," making it the first true rivalry in the league's history. The Chicago Bears lead the all-time series.

Single-Season Records

Here are some of the best single-season performances by Cardinals players:

• Points Scored: 489 in 2015
• Passing Yards: 4,671 by Carson Palmer in 2015
• Passing Touchdowns: 35 by Carson Palmer in 2015
• Rushing Yards: 1,605 by Ottis Anderson in 1979
• Rushing Touchdowns: 16 by David Johnson in 2016
• Receptions: 109 by Larry Fitzgerald in 2015
• Receiving Yards: 1,598 by David Boston in 2001
• Receiving Touchdowns: 15 by Sonny Randle in 1960
• Field Goals: 40 by Neil Rackers in 2005
• Longest Punt Return: 99 yards by Patrick Peterson in 2011
• Longest Kickoff Return: 108 yards by David Johnson in 2015

Career Records

These are some of the best career records by Cardinals players:

• Passing Yards: 34,639 by Jim Hart (1966–1983)
• Passing Touchdowns: 209 by Jim Hart (1966–1983)
• Rushing Yards: 7,999 by Ottis Anderson (1979–1986)
• Rushing Touchdowns: 46 by Ottis Anderson (1979–1986)
• Receptions: 1,432 by Larry Fitzgerald (2004–2020)
• Receiving Yards: 15,545 by Larry Fitzgerald (2004–2020)
• Total Touchdowns: 110 by Larry Fitzgerald (2004–2020)
• Interceptions: 52 by Larry Wilson (1960–1972)
• Field Goals Made: 282 by Jim Bakken (1962–1978)
• Sacks: 71.5 by Chandler Jones (2016–2021)

Players of Note

Retired Numbers

The Cardinals have honored some of their greatest players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team can wear that number.

Notes:

1. Even though #99 is retired, J. J. Watt was allowed to wear it in 2021 and 2022 after Marshall Goldberg's daughter gave her permission.

Pro Football Hall of Famers

Many former Cardinals players and coaches have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which is a special place for the best players in football history.

Italics = played part of their career with the Cardinals but are mainly known for another team.

Ring of Honor

The Cardinals' Ring of Honor was started in 2006 to celebrate the opening of State Farm Stadium. It honors great players and people from all parts of the team's history.

Staff

The Cardinals have had many head coaches throughout their history. Paddy Driscoll was their first head coach. Jimmy Conzelman, Jim Hanifan, and Ken Whisenhunt are tied for being the longest-serving head coaches for the team.

Current Staff

Radio and Television

You can listen to Cardinals games on the radio! Their main English radio station is KMVP-FM. Dave Pasch and Ron Wolfley are the main announcers. You can also hear games in Spanish on KQMR/KHOV-FM. The Cardinals were the first NFL team to offer all their preseason and regular season games on Spanish-language radio, starting in 2000. They even have a large network of radio stations in Mexico!

For television, KTVK and KPHO broadcast the team's preseason games in Arizona.

English Radio Affiliates

See Also

In Spanish: Arizona Cardinals para niños

Images for kids

• 

  The Arizona Cardinals' new uniforms for 2023.