Arizona Cardinals · Franchise era 1 of 7
The Chicago foundation: the Arizona Cardinals story
Franchise era
1920—1946
The Chicago foundation
Arizona Cardinals
The story in one sentence
The Cardinals helped form the league in Chicago and survived its unstable first decades while building an identity around versatile backs and hard-nosed defense.
One of pro football's original clubs
Paddy Driscoll, Ernie Nevers and Charley Trippi gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for champions, then a long goodbye.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
The league's oldest continuously operating franchise has crossed Chicago, St. Louis and Arizona, pairing rare championship peaks with generations of singular stars.
1920—1946
The Chicago foundation
The Cardinals helped form the league in Chicago and survived its unstable first decades while building an identity around versatile backs and hard-nosed defense.
After 1946
What came next
The Million Dollar Backfield delivered the 1947 championship and another title-game trip before declining attendance led the franchise west.
The core