Before Week 9 kicks off in Seattle against the Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals fans are coming off a very exciting win in Dallas against the Cowboys. Arizona's 33-30 win against Dallas featured some of the best highlights of the Cardinals' season.

That said, the win also masked several issues that Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort have made.

The Cardinals reached on Jeremiyah Love

When the Cardinals selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, many thought Arizona reached. Not only because running backs are less valuable in the NFL than they were in prior decades, but also because the Cardinals recently signed Tyler Allgeier in free agency.

During his four seasons on the Falcons, Allgeier totaled 2,876 rushing yards and an silently efficient 4.2 yards per carry. Drafting Love, at least that high in the draft, made little sense for Ossenfort and crew.

On Sunday, Allgeier had an amazing game against Dallas' defense. He ran 147 yards and averaged 13.4 yards per carry. Allgeier's longest run of the day was a 63-yard touchdown run, a big play that helped Arizona get back in the game.  

Allgeier put up a game to remember while Love is sidelined with his third ankle injury of the season. When Love did play. the rookie runner averaged just 2.6 yards per carry and struggled to put it in the end zone. 

I'm not saying Love is going to be a bust. However, it's becoming clear that the Cardinals could have went other directions with their third overall pick. They could have drafted a player like edge/linebacker Arvell Reese to help the defense or wideout Carnell Tate to better help the offense.

The Cardinals should have had a different Week 1 Starting Quarterback

Speaking of the Vikings, after Arizona cut ties with quarterback Kyler Murray, who then signed with Minnesota in March, the question was who would be the Cardinals' next signal caller? Jacoby Brissett was coming off of a very okay season at best where he wasn't terrible, but he also was not great either. 

Out of quarterbacks who played at least double-digit games in 2025, Brissett ranked 14th in quarterback rating and touchdown passes.  After last season, Brissett wanted a pay raise for the final year of his contract. He skipped voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Instead of letting Jacoby go and going with veteran Gardner Minshew as the starter, the Cardinals and Brissett agreed to a restructured deal.

Brissett eventually got benched in the third quarter last week. Minshew came in and orchestrated a comeback victory for the Cardinals. In just two quarters, Minshew looked much better than Brissett has in any full game this season. If Minshew had started the whole season, the Cardinals might have won one of the close games they lost, such as the New York Giants contest.

Why does this matter?

Ultimately, some may say this doesn't matter, as the Cardinals are in a competitive NFC West division. Many expected the Cardinals to be in a year of developing and building future talent, so getting an extra win or two in the season to go from three wins to five wins isn't a big deal.

However, little mistakes do add up. Ossenfort's tenure with the Cardinals has typically been one step forward, two steps back. He has made some solid decisions, but it always seems like there's a costly move afterward.

Arizona will likely have a high pick in what looks like a loaded draft class next year. If owner Michael Bidwill sees Ossenfort's mistakes pile up, he could look to get a new general manager.

Overall, the Cardinals front office still has a lot of question marks despite the starting win against Dallas. Arizona ownership will have to do a lot of research to determine the next best step for the franchise.