TEMPE, Ariz. -- There’s a chance Sunday might be the last time coach Bruce Arians, quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald are all members of the Arizona Cardinals together.
And if it is, it’ll mark the end of one of the best eras in franchise history.
Together, the trio changed the culture in Arizona.
Together, they won. Together, they altered expectations. Together, they would leave their mark on the oldest franchise in the NFL.
“Despite us not going to the playoffs, they’ll leave the organization better than it was when we got here,” said defensive tackle Frostee Rucker, who signed with the Cardinals in 2013, the first year of the Arians-Palmer-Fitzgerald era. “Even though [coach] Ken [Whisenhunt] made a run at the Super Bowl, it was in [disarray] when everyone got here. They hadn’t won in a couple years. It wasn’t too good.
“They changed the culture and got a lot of great talent in here.”
In the three years before Arians and Palmer united with Fitzgerald, the Cardinals had won 18 games total. Since 2013, Arizona has won 48 games, the best five-year stretch in franchise history. And that’s with missing the playoffs this season and last.
“Anytime you get guys like that in your franchise, that does wonders for your organization,” Arizona tight end Jermaine Gresham said as the Cardinals (7-8) prepared for their Week 17 visit to the Seattle Seahawks.
To some players, the past two seasons weren’t enough to mar what Arians, Palmer and Fitzgerald accomplished in their first three together, winning 34 games and going to the playoffs twice, including a run to the NFC Championship Game in the 2015 campaign.
“That’s just kudos to those guys,” said Gresham, who signed in 2015. “Just laying the foundation by those guys, what it should be and what it should look like. Their legacy in it all is pretty great.”
But the past two seasons have been a dose of reality, a step back after Arizona's 13-3 mark in 2015 -- the franchise's most recent winning season.
“It hasn’t been the same with injuries and whatnot,” Rucker said. “It’s been tough. It’s been tough.”
But when the trio's body of work is examined, the past two seasons aren't enough to cast a shadow over the rest, Gresham explained.
“There’s no reason for them to hang their heads on anything they’ve done,” Gresham said. “They’ve been nothing short of great.”
For the past three seasons, the Arians-Palmer-Fitzgerald triumvirate has been the face of the franchise. Others have come, others have gone. Only nine players remain from the 2013 team; in addition to Palmer, Fitzgerald and Rucker, the others are cornerback Patrick Peterson, defensive back Justin Bethel, safety Tyrann Mathieu, wide receiver Jaron Brown, wide receiver Brittan Golden and quarterback Drew Stanton.
Having a foundation of Arians, Palmer and Fitzgerald for all five seasons has been an example for those players who have come and gone.
“It just shows you how things should be done, how things work, how you should be a pro and, more than anything, respecting the process,” Gresham said.
Arians is the only coach Brown has known in the NFL, and Palmer the only franchise quarterback. Thinking about life without all or any of the trio is “crazy,” Brown said.
But from his perspective, the past five years have been a “remarkable run.”
“Just to be able to experience it with them, I’ve been humbled,” Brown said.