Cardinals CB Will Johnson says Arizona has a chance to “surprise people” after tough 2025 season

Arizona’s cornerback Will Johnson believes the Cardinals have a realistic path to playing beyond outside expectations, even in a division that has recently separated itself from the rest of the league. In remarks published by Yahoo Sports, Johnson characterized this moment as an opportunity to “surprise people,” a message aimed at resetting how Arizona should be viewed after a season that ended with the team at the bottom of the NFC West.

The backdrop is stark. Yahoo Sports reported that Arizona finished 3-14, while every other team in the division reached at least the divisional round of the playoffs and each won at least 12 games. The NFC West, according to that same report, won more games than any other division in the NFL last season, a marker that matters because it suggests the Cardinals were not merely competing in a standard conference, but in one of the NFL’s deepest groupings of contenders.

One reason the comparison is so pointed is that the division’s success did not stop at the regular season. Yahoo Sports noted that the Seahawks beat the Rams in the NFC title game and then won the Super Bowl, reinforcing that the West’s strength translated into late-season survival and championship-level execution. In that context, Arizona’s 3-14 record is not just a low point in the standings, it is also evidence of how far the Cardinals were from what their rivals were doing, year-end to year-end.

Johnson’s comments land as a form of internal evaluation, positioning Arizona as a club capable of closing gaps if it can turn incremental changes into consistent results. For a young team that finished well outside playoff contention, the “surprise” framing also speaks to identity, because it shifts the conversation from catching up to adopting an edge mindset. In practical terms, a cornerback’s offseason focus often centers on coverage reliability and communication, the kind of fundamentals that, if improved, can lift a defense from being vulnerable to being disruptive.

Still, there is a gap between belief and outcome. The Cardinals’ previous season record reflects that the West’s baseline of play has been high, and the teams around them have repeatedly proven they can win meaningful games. Without additional detail on Arizona’s defensive personnel changes, scheme adjustments, or schedule specifics in the available reporting, it would be speculative to draw conclusions about exactly how quickly those gaps can be closed.

What to watch next is whether Arizona can translate optimism into early-season performance, particularly in games against NFC West opponents and in situations that typically stress the secondary, like third-down passing and end-of-half drives. If Johnson and the rest of the defense can force opponents into lower-percentage throws and generate more consistent coverage, the Cardinals’ “opportunity to surprise” could move from a message into a measurable trend, even in a division where everyone else appears ready to keep raising the bar.