Cris Carter Trashes NFC Franchise
Last year, Vikings legend Cris Carter offered his blunt assessments of J.J. McCarthy nearly on a weekly basis. Though he was not particularly wrong in criticizing the young quarterback, it’s certainly debatable whether it was necessary to scold the first-year starter as frequently as he did.
This time, Carter took some shots at another franchise, which is a nice change. The Arizona Cardinals were on the wrong end of his comments. He appeared on the Fully Loaded Podcast last week and said:
“I’m gonna tell you something that you’ve never heard before about the Arizona Cardinals. They have one of the worst ownership groups. They do not know what they’re doing. And I couldn’t say this for a long time because my kid was playing out there — Larry Fitzgerald. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer; now, I can let go. They’re awful. The way they do things is awful. He was lucky to survive his career there.”
Fitzgerald, a Minnesota native and pal of Carter, played his entire 263-game career in Arizona. The ownership group is universally viewed as one of the worst in the business, though they are lucky they aren’t in the news as often as some others, primarily on the East Coast.
The all-time great WR added, “They’re so inconsistent. They have no plan. They have no rhyme. They have no action plan — like what they’re going to do. And — they ruin a lot of good players. Players don’t go to Arizona and become Hall of Famers, typically. They’re fortunate with Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald that they escaped, but they were who they were.”
The Cardinals reached the playoffs once in the last ten seasons and they got bounced immediately by the Rams with offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. Carter doesn’t like their ownership group, but neither do the players. In the recent NFLPA report cards, via ESPN, the ownership got an F and the franchise ranked 31st overall.
The Vikings, meanwhile, ranked 2nd with A+ ownership. That doesn’t guarantee a championship, but it shows that the people in charge actually care about their employees.
Carter continued with his examination of new Vikings passer Kyler Murray: “Kyler Murray, to me, could be a Baker Mayfield. He could be a Sam Darnold. He’s got talent. Put it in the right system and support it the right way. He’s played some hell of a football. To keep him healthy and keep him confident — that’s what they need.”
Murray was drafted by Arizona in 2019 and served as their QB until his release in March. He joined the Vikings on a one-year deal to revitalize his career. Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield are two successful recent examples of reclamation project quarterbacks, but it’s noteworthy that neither started their reclamation journey with years of good play on their resume. Murray, however, has just that with two Pro Bowl recognitions and a solid season as recently as 2024.
The Vikings have shown that they have the infrastructure in place to get the best out of veteran quarterbacks. Kevin O’Connell is fantastic at teaching an experienced passer his offense. He has the ability to give them the confidence they need, forming a real connection with them.
Furthermore, Murray will have the luxury of throwing to wideouts Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, who are likely looking forward to playing with a starting-caliber quarterback after the subpar play under center in 2025. Hopefully, a healthier offensive line and further reliance on the running game can also help Murray in his new environment.
If Murray plays well in Minnesota, Carter’s comments about Arizona will only gain more traction. The Vikings believe they have the coaching, structure, and talent around the quarterback position to help him succeed — something the Cardinals were often criticized for lacking.
Now it’s up to Murray to prove Carter right.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.