👋 GOOD MORNING — Happy Thursday! We’re halfway home, and I hope your week is going well.

The Diamondbacks celebrated the passage of House Bill 2704 with Governor Katie Hobbs prior to yesterday’s game against the Rangers. The bill creates a funding mechanism to modernize, renovate and preserve an Arizona landmark, and secures the D-backs’ home in downtown Phoenix for decades to come.

Thank goodness. We already lost the Coyotes — losing our Snakes would have been devastating. One less thing to worry about in the Arizona sports landscape!

On to the show!

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

The time for speculation has come to an end.

Let’s get this party started.

The Cardinals kick off their 2025 season in New Orleans on Sunday, and expectations are elevated compared to previous years. Some of that originates from the flurry of offseason moves made by GM Monti Ossenfort and Co., not to mention the expected maturation of young, promising stars such as receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Nothing is certain in the NFL, except injuries. Arizona has the fifth-easiest schedule this season based upon their opponents’ 2024 winning percentage (.457), but also keep in mind division rival San Francisco has the easiest.

The Cardinals are in a strong position to bounce back from last year’s 8-9 campaign, but will it be enough just to sneak into the postseason? And what happens if they don’t make the playoffs? Could that spell the end for coach Jonathan Gannon?

This could be Kyler’s year to shine.

There’s no denying the six-year NFL veteran’s talent or playmaking ability, though his decision making has been questioned at times. The 28-year-old has no excuses left to lean on — he’s fully healthy and has a strong cast of receivers to target.

With Murray under center and James Conner in the backfield, Arizona’s offense is as primed as ever for a strong season. Oh yeah — and don’t forget about Trey McBride, who was on of the best tight ends in the NFL last season.

Week one will tell us a lot, to be honest, as the Saints had the 29th-ranked defense last season.

Speaking of defense, the Cardinals dramatically improved that side of the ball this past offseason.

Not sure if you’ve heard, but the arrival of Super Bowl champ Josh Sweat is a huge upgrade. Sweat signed a four-year contract with the Cardinals, reuniting the linebacker with Gannon while adding championship DNA to a team looking to do some damage in the postseason.

There’s young talent waiting in the wings, too, led by rookie cornerback Will Johnson. His learning curve appeared to be pretty significant during preseason, but once he settles in there’s potential to help lead this team in 2025 and beyond.

Of course, don’t forget about Walter Nolen, who will miss at least the first quarter of the season with a calf injury. When he does get healthy, though, look out — the Cardinals’ presence on the line looks like an absolute force, at least on paper.

Speaking of “on paper,” bet365 has the Cardinals as a 6.5 point favorite in New Orleans on Sunday, though futures look a little more dicey. Arizona has the third-best odds to win the NFC West (+400) behind the Rams (+200) and 49ers (+150), but ahead of the Seahawks (+500).

Their odds of making the playoffs are slightly better at +120, and current odds have them favored to win more than 8.5 games.

Whether or not Arizona makes the postseason will ultimately come down to the final X-factor of the season: coaching. Gannon has more tools with this team than he has ever had heading into his third season as head coach, and results likely need to show that.

My Take: This team was just a few pieces away last season, and while I’m not trying to drink the kool-aid, it’s hard to not be impressed by the talent on all sides of this roster. A Week 1 win in New Orleans would go a long way to getting off on the right foot, but the dates that should be circled on your calendar are the divisional games. The NFC West could be a wild ride, yet again.

Enjoy the season, which kicks off tonight!

Gallen-Sized Win: Zac Gallen continued his post-tread deadline dominance, stifling the Rangers by allowing just four hits over six innings while striking out five en route to a 2-0 win. Arizona took the series from Texas, and now turns its sights to the Red Sox and a three-game series that kicks off on Friday.

The win brought the D-backs to within on game of .500, and was their sixth win over their last eight games.

Back in Action: The Mercury hit the road for two games, beginning tonight in Washington D.C. against the 16-25 Mystics (4:30 pm, Prime Video) before facing Connecticut on Sunday. Games are as magnified as ever, considering just a 1/2 game separates Phoenix from second place and the favorable playoff matchup that comes along with that.

That’s Right, Sun: Having trouble remembering all of the moves the Suns made this past offseason? Fear not! Our very own Gerald Bourguet not only has everything organized in one neat, tidy article for you: He also graded every move! What are you thoughts on how first-year general manager Brian Gregory has performed to this point? Let’s hear it!

ASU women’s volleyball coach JJ Van Niel joined our PHNX Sun Devils pod yesterday — one of the best coaches out there!

NFL. FOOTBALL. TONIGHT.