We have made it halfway through this week in the NFL offseason and are a day closer to the start of the regular season. For the Arizona Cardinals, who open the season on the road against the Buffalo Bills on September 8 in Highmark Stadium, that start is 81 days away.
In 81 days, they will start their 2024 season.
No. 81 on the team is currently tight end Travis Vokelek, who joined the team late last season and will battle for the final tight end spot on the roster.
Who was the last reasonably impactful player to wear No. 81 for the Cardinals?
That would probably be tight end Jim Dray, who played for Arizona from 2010-2013 and again for a game in 2017.
He was a seventh-round pick out of Stanford who, after three years of only special teams basically, became a starting tight end in 2013. He had 26 receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns and was well trusted by head coach Bruce Arians.
He returned for a game in 2017 when the Cardinals were in a tough situation with injuries, showing Arians’ trust in him again.
He also was the offensive quality control coach under head coach Kliff Kingsbury in 2020-2021.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.