Arizona Cardinals · Franchise era 3 of 7
The St. Louis Football Cardinals: the Arizona Cardinals story
Franchise era
1960—1987
The St. Louis Football Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The story in one sentence
St. Louis produced explosive, entertaining contenders in the 1970s but never found the postseason breakthrough needed to secure the franchise's future there.
The Cardiac Cardinals make drama a habit
Jim Hart, Dan Dierdorf and Terry Metcalf gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for finding a home in arizona.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1960
What came before
The Million Dollar Backfield delivered the 1947 championship and another title-game trip before declining attendance led the franchise west.
1974-12-21
Divisional Round: St. Louis Cardinals vs Minnesota Vikings
1975-12-27
Divisional Round: St. Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Rams
1983-01-08
Wild Card: St. Louis Cardinals vs Green Bay Packers
After 1987
What came next
The move to the desert brought only one playoff appearance in sixteen seasons, though Williams became an all-time defender and Plummer authored a memorable upset in Dallas.
The core