The Arizona Cardinals struggles and what could have been

Taking a walk down memory lane for the Arizona Cardinals.

Within the last decade the Arizona Cardinals have plenty of “what if” scenarios.

From, “what if” Carson Palmer stays healthy, to “what if” Chandler Catanzaro makes the game winning field goal against the New England Patriots in the first game of the 2016 season, we have a litany of “what ifs”.

The question today is similar but slightly different.

“What if” Peyton Manning had signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2012?

The reason for the question is not as much about the results, although those are fascinating, but more if you would have sacrificed the entire Bruce Arians era and the now Kyler Murray era for one Super Bowl with Manning?

Look at what the Broncos have been since Manning retired, nothing.

In fact, worse than nothing they have been woefully mediocre.

After Manning retired, Gary Kubiak went one more year, Vance Joseph got two years, Vic Fangio three years, Nathaniel Hackett not even a year, and now they are back to Sean Payton.

If the Cardinals sign Manning in 2012, does Ken Whisenhunt end up fired?

Does Steve Keim end up as GM?

What on earth happens to Bruce Arians and his caeer?

And, do any Arizona Cardinals fans care if they win that one Super Bowl nearly a decade ago and then just go back to being the Arizona Cardinals?

What brought this up was this interesting post:

The Broncos have been in purgatory since the Manning Super Bowl win (I know Peyton didn’t have a ton to do with it but also, maybe his presence/guidance did?)

I think the question of if you’d have given up the last 13 years of Cardinals football for one Super Bowl is easy to say yes, since there has never been a Super Bowl. Where it gets interesting is how things unfold if you bring on Manning in 2012 and what the beyond looks like.

If you are guaranteed that one Super Bowl then I think it is just… Yes, let’s do it.