'It means everything to us': Arizona Cardinals well aware Super Bowl 57 is in their home
GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Arizona Cardinals have witnessed something abnormal for two consecutive seasons.
Two years ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the first team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl at home, doing so in Raymond James Stadium. Then, the Los Angeles Rams accomplished the same feat at home a year later in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.
It’s not lost on the Cardinals that State Farm Stadium, their home, is the site of the NFL’s grand finale this season. Can the Arizona Cardinals pull off the trifecta?
“Tampa won in Tampa and LA won in LA. The pressure is on,” Cardinals offensive lineman Justin Pugh said. “It’s in Arizona. We got to defend our home field.”
The Cardinals opened training camp this week inside their retractable domed stadium in Glendale, Arizona, approximately 10 miles from downtown Phoenix.
The atmosphere was reminiscent of the first day of school. The Cardinals were upbeat about being on the field after an adversity-filled offseason that featured Chandler Jones walking in free agency, Kyler Murray’s lengthy contract situation, Jeff Gladney’s tragic death and DeAndre Hopkins’ six-game suspension.
While some of the scars from this offseason will linger, the club appeared ready to get back to business matters on the football field again in preparation for the regular season.
“You just hope you’re getting it all out of the way before you get rolling,” Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said about an offseason full of storylines. “These guys are professionals. They know it’s their job to show up each and every day and try to be the best possible team they can be. It’s a prideful organization. It’s got a lot of prideful and veteran leadership in the locker room. I’m fired up about this roster and the talent. We just got to get to work and see where it goes.”
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Some Cardinals players have resisted talking about being the third straight team to play a Super Bowl at home but it’s undoubtedly crossed their minds.
“It’s been on my mind. We want to be the team here playing in it. I don’t want to think about nobody else using our locker room,” Cardinals running back James Conner said. “That’s our locker room. It means everything to us and that’s what we want to do this year.”
The Cardinals did look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders after flying to a 7-0 start last year -- the franchise’s best start since 1974. But the team finished the regular season 4-6 and then got blown out 34-11 in the wild-card round by the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
Now the Cardinals are trying to mimic what the Bucs and the Rams accomplished in successive seasons.
“Those teams earned it,” Conner said. “That’s really all it comes down to. It’s no coincidence. Teams win who deserve to win.”
Follow Paste BN Sports' Tyler Dragon on Twitter @TheTylerDragon.