2017 NFL Power Rankings: Los Angeles Rams Enter Offseason Near Bottom

16. Arizona Cardinals

Expectations were high for the Arizona Cardinals heading into the regular season after reaching the NFC Championship the year before, but just like several other teams already discussed on this list, Bruce Arians’ group had some trouble overcoming a poor start. As if letting what seemed like a sure win against the New England Patriots slip away opening weekend, the Cardinals suffered two more tough losses early on against the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams.

Coming up short in games they could have easily won became a popular trend for Arizona, and resulted in the team finishing way behind the Seattle Seahawks in the division with a 7-8-1 record. For a team that was considered a strong Super Bowl contender before the regular season officially got underway, there are no words to describe the level of disappointment on Arizona’s end.

Carson Palmer claims he’s planning on returning for another season at quarterback, but the Cardinals will eventually need to plan for the future when it comes to running the offense. Even if Palmer does return for 2017, the quarterback doesn’t seem to have too many effective years left in him where he would be capable of helping the Cardinals remain contenders in the NFC.