Arizona Cardinals

• 1. The Morgan Athletic Club

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  In 1898, a neighborhood group gathered on the South Side of Chicago to play football. They called themselves the Morgan Athletic Club. Chris O'Brien, a painting and building contractor, acquired the team shortly after its formation. He moved the squad to Normal Field on Racine Avenue. The group became known as the Racine Normals until 1901. That year, O'Brien purchased used jerseys from the University of Chicago. He described the faded maroon clothing as "Cardinal red". The team adopted the name Racine Street Cardinals following this purchase. In 1920, the franchise joined the American Professional Football Association as a charter member. Two years later, the league rechristened itself the National Football League. The organization entered the new league as the Racine Cardinals before changing their name to the Chicago Cardinals in 1922.

• 2. Two Titles And A Long Wait

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  The Cardinals won two NFL championships while based in Chicago. Their first title came in 1925 after the Pottsville Maroons were suspended for playing a game in another team's territory. The Maroons had beaten the Cardinals earlier that season but finished with the same record. The second championship arrived in 1947, eight months after owner Charles Bidwill died. This victory marked the first time the team won a formal championship game. They returned to the title game in 1948 only to lose 7, 0 to the Philadelphia Eagles during a snowstorm. Since then, the franchise has endured the longest active championship drought in North American sports. As of 2025, this drought spans 78 seasons. The team holds the record for most regular season losses in NFL history with 822 defeats through 2024.

• 3. From Chicago To Glendale

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  Owner Violet Bidwill Wolfner became interested in moving the team to a new city during the late 1950s. Years of bad seasons and losing fans to crosstown rivals like the Chicago Bears contributed to her decision. The National Football League allowed Bill Bidwill to move the organization to St. Louis, Missouri, due to the formation of the rival American Football League. The team played there from 1960 until 1987. Locals referred to them as the "Big Red" or the "Gridbirds" to distinguish them from Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. Before the 1988 season, the franchise moved to Tempe, Arizona. They played home games at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University for 18 years. In 2006, the team relocated to their current home field in suburban Glendale. Their executive offices remain in Tempe while planning to move to north Phoenix by 2028.

• 4. Uniforms And Color Schemes

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  The team has worn cardinal red jerseys since Chris O'Brien bought used uniforms in 1898. For most of their history, they utilized white helmets with white pants featuring red stripes. A logo of a Northern cardinal perched on football laces appeared starting in 1947. When the Cardinals moved to Arizona in 1988, the state flag was added to sleeves the following year. New coach Joe Bugel introduced red pants with white jerseys in 1990 to emulate his former employer. The organization participated in an NFL throwback program in 1995 wearing khaki pants and interlocking CC logos. Black became an accent color again after an eight-year absence during a major makeover in 2005. Fans had derisively called the previous cardinal-head logo a "parakeet" before its update. The team unveiled all-red and all-white combinations from 2002 through 2004 before further changes arrived. In 2010, they debuted a new alternate black jersey for the first time.

• 5. Legends And Retired Numbers

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  Larry Wilson played safety for the franchise from 1960 to 1972 before his number 8 retired in 1970. Pat Tillman served as a safety from 1998 to 2001 until his tragic death led to his number 40 being retired in 2004. Stan Mauldin wore number 77 as an offensive tackle between 1946 and 1948. J.V. Cain played tight end from 1974 to 1978 with number 88 retired in 1979. Marshall Goldberg wore number 99 as a halfback from 1939 to 1943 and 1946 to 1948. His number was re-issued to J.J. Watt on the 2nd of March 2021 after receiving family blessing. Ernie Nevers played fullback from 1929 to 1931 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963. Jim Thorpe played running back in 1928 and joined the Hall of Fame in 1963. Kurt Warner quarterbacked the team from 2005 to 2009 before his induction in 2017. Edgerrin James ran for the Cardinals from 2006 to 2008 and entered the Hall of Fame in 2020.

• 6. Rivalries And Division Battles

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  The matchup against the Los Angeles Rams began during the 1937 NFL season when both teams were located elsewhere. The Cardinals played in Chicago while the Rams were still in Cleveland. Both franchises spent time in St. Louis with the Cardinals staying there until 1987 and the Rams remaining until 2015. The series stands at 50 wins for the Rams, 40 for the Cardinals, and two ties as of recent records. The rivalry with the Seattle Seahawks intensified after realignment in 2002 placed them in the NFC West division together. This bitter competition featured clashes between Carson Palmer or Kyler Murray against Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson throughout the mid-to-late 2010s. Seattle leads the series 25, 22, 1 without ever meeting in the playoffs. The historic rivalry with the Chicago Bears dates back to 1920 when the Bears were known as the Decatur Staleys. That matchup became known as "The Battle of Chicago" for 38 years starting in 1922. The Bears lead the all-time series 59, 29, 6.