Which Cardinals players have been the most popular in the past decade?
For more than three decades, the Arizona Cardinals have called the Valley home, with many players donning the team’s iconic Sedona red and white colors throughout their tenure.
In Arizona, the Cardinals have made the playoffs six times in the last 35 years, with notable appearances in the Super Bowl in 2008 and the NFC Championship Game in 2015.
The team’s strong start in 2021 laid the foundation for a successful introduction of the Arizona betting apps era.
Larry Fitzgerald and Carson Palmer have had a significant impact on the Cardinals’ Arizona history, playing a combined 22 seasons as key players for the franchise.
Yengols.com, a website focused on Arizona sportsbooks, examined the top Cardinals players in North America over the past decade.
Yengols.com utilized AhRefs and Google Trends to examine the search volume of every Cardinals player in the last ten years. Upon receiving the data, we combined the rankings from both sources to compile a list of the Top 10 players.
To accurately represent the popularity of players with the Cardinals from 2013 to 2023, only players who were with the team for a minimum of two full seasons were included in the analysis.
Top Cardinals Players from the Last Decade
Fitzgerald Still Dominant Figure
It is not surprising to anyone familiar with the Valley in the 21st century that Fitzgerald is the most popular Cardinal of the last ten years.
The two-time All-Pro wide receiver surpassed other veteran Cardinals players in the rankings, with Palmer coming in second, Kyler Murray in fourth, Tyrann Mathieu in sixth, Chandler Jones in eighth, and Calais Campbell in ninth.
The Cardinals selected Fitzgerald (third overall in 2004), Murray (first overall in 2019), Mathieu (69th overall in 2013), Patrick Peterson (fifth overall in 2011), and Campbell (50th overall in 2008) within their top 10 draft picks.
Athletes like Palmer, J.J. Watt, DeAndre Hopkins, Chandler Jones, and James Conner made their way to the Valley by signing with NFL teams as free agents.
Since 2013, Fitzgerald has had the biggest influence on the franchise out of the top 10 most popular Cardinals. He has recorded an impressive 1,432 catches for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns in 263 games.
Concluding his tenure with the Cardinals, the 11-time Pro Bowler achieved the second-highest ranking in NFL history for receiving yards and receptions among wide receivers, as well as the sixth-highest ranking overall for receiving touchdowns.
Due to his popularity, Fitzgerald was a notable presence at the recent Super Bowl that took place at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, which is conveniently located near the BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona retail location.
During his five-year tenure with the franchise, Palmer guided Arizona to the playoffs twice. In 2015, the former USC quarterback had a standout season with a 13-3 record, achieving career highs in passing yards (4,671) and touchdowns (35).
In 2015, Mathieu had his best season yet with the Cardinals, recording 17 pass deflections and 80 solo tackles. He subsequently played for Houston, Kansas City, and New Orleans.
Watt played 23 games during his two seasons in the Valley from 2021 to 2022, while Hopkins has played in 35 games for Arizona since his move from Houston in 2020.
During that timeframe, Hopkins has caught 221 passes for 2,696 yards and found the end zone 17 times.
Each person made a distinct impression on the Valley, captivating fans of the franchise with their unique skills and talents.
Author
Peterson Christopher has transitioned to the role of lead writer at yengols.com after seven years of covering sports and sports betting in Arizona for ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News.
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