49ers’ Fred Warner Takes Wild Dig at Cardinals with Viral Meme Reference

The Arizona Cardinals registered just three wins in the 2025-26 season, concluding their fourth straight losing season.

49ers’ Fred Warner Takes Wild Dig at Cardinals with Viral Meme Reference

Fred Warner (Image via AP)

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The San Francisco 49ers linebacker, Fred Warner, took a shot at the division rivals, the Arizona Cardinals’ historically poor performance, in a recent interview with the St. Brown brothers. Warner had a cheeky way of painting the Cardinals’ position in the NFC West.

The linebacker, while claiming that the NFC West is the best division in football, admitted that the Cardinals are currently the third goofy dragon in the Three-Headed Dragon meme. Warner said on StBrown Podcast:

You ever see that meme with the dragons where it’s the 3 dragons and then you got the dragon over there with his tongue out and the goggly eyes? Unfortunately that’s the Cardinals right now.

The Arizona Cardinals were completely off the picture this year, while the other three had intense fights for the division and the conference. The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks fought tooth and nail for the divisional championship, which the Seahawks ultimately secured. The Niners were equally dangerous despite having lost several key players to injury during the season.

The Seahawks are in the Super Bowl, and they eliminated the Rams and the Niners on their way to the championship game. The Niners previously defeated the defending champions, while the Rams defeated the Carolina Panthers and overcame harsh Chicago weather to beat the Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, the Cardinals had just three wins in 17 games.

The Cardinals haven’t made the playoffs since 2021, which was also their last winning season. The Cardinals have a total of 19 wins in the last four seasons. Their last playoff win came a decade ago against the Green Bay Packers in a divisional game of the 2015-16 season.

In the 21st century, they have made the postseason only five times, which includes a Super Bowl berth in 2008. Talking about Super Bowls and national championships, the Cardinals hold the longest active championship drought (78 seasons) among North American franchises.

Arizona Cardinals are beginning to lose fans quickly

The Arizona Cardinals are reportedly losing a sizable number of fans and season ticket holders, following the three-win season. According to Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic, the Cardinals’ fan pages are filled with users tweeting their canceled tickets, addressing a parting with decades of memories.

Kyler Murray with HC Jonathan Gannon
Kyler Murray with former HC Jonathan Gannon (Image via Daily Handoff/X)

The Cardinals had one of the best years in the history of ticketing ahead of the last season. They had sold over 7,000 new season tickets and a renewal rate of over 90%, the highest in over a decade. In an Arizona Republic article, Mackie noted five key areas of fans’ frustration, and, unsurprisingly, the Cardinals’ on-field struggles are a primary reason.

The increase in ticket prices, the prevalence of visiting fans, an inclination towards new luxury eras, and a lack of amenities for season-ticket holders were also cited as reasons. Reportedly, ticket prices have increased by around 10% and by 108% since 2022. The prices for the best seats in the stadium, 108 and 109, have more than doubled over the past five years, rising from $1,400 per seat in 2021 to $3,010 in 2026.

A sharp increase in prices without any remarkable achievements to show in a decade, especially after a three-win season, hasn’t gone down well with the fans. Also, none of those three wins came against a winning team.

The inclination towards securing more luxury zones is a huge pain point. Luxury experiences at premium prices have replaced facilities loved by fans. For one, ten apartment-style luxury boxes or casitas saw seven sections of regular seating being history. There was also the premium-priced Casa Roja, with high-end lounge amenities, which replaced multiple midfield sections.

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