PHOENIX – Drones spotted on the East Coast are leaving some on edge amid similar reported sightings in the Valley; a head-on crash left two people dead in west Phoenix; and more – here’s a look at some of the top stories on FOX10Phoenix.com for Sunday, December 15, 2024.

1. Drones spotted in the Valley?

2. Deadly crash in Phoenix

3. Teen allegedly kills family members

4. Jamie Foxx attacked

5. Cards end losing streak

Tonight’s weather

The Arizona Wildcats came into the 2024 college football season with a bright outlook for the future. They were ranked in the top 25 and looked like a potential sleeper contender.

Unfortunately, right off the bat, it was clear Arizona was not the team they were hyped up to be.

The Wildcats managed to scrape together a rough 4-8 record after this past campaign was brutal from an all-around standpoint.

Nothing went right and the awful year has now completely changed the team’s outlook.

Already this offseason, Arizona is reeling in the NCAA transfer portal.

So far, they have already lost 30 players to the transfer portal. This is an unprecedented exodus from a football program and it’s a situation that will be hard to recover from for Brent Brennan and the Wildcats.

Here is the long list of players who have opted to enter the transfer portal this offseason:

CB Treyden Stukes, EDGE Cyrus Durham, S Dalton Johnson, EDGE Nolan Clement, CB Tacario Davis, S Gunner Maldonado, DL Nick Fernandez, EDGE Taitai Uiagalelei, OT Elijah Payne, CB Emmanuel Karnley, LB Kamuela Kaaihue, EDGE Tristan Davis, IOL Jonah Rodriguez, TE Keyan Burnett, WR Malachi Riley, WR Jackson Holman, CB Demetrius Freeney, LB Jacob Manu, WR Raymello Murphy, CB Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine, QB Anthony Garcia, RB Brandon Johnson, IOL Wendell Moe Jr., IOL JT Hand, RB Rayshon Luke, WR AJ Jones, DL Bryce Echols, TE Dorian Thomas, QB Brayden Dorman, S Genesis Smith.

Needless to say, that is a long list of players and it’s going to be difficult to replace them all.

On the outside looking in, this could be the start of a major rebuild for Brennan and Arizona since it likely will take a couple of years to restock the amount of talent that is leaving the program.

However, the Wildcats will also have an opportunity to attack back and try to bring players in through the portal themselves.

Arizona will need to get aggressive in order to be competitive for the 2025 season.

This is part of the new college football setup with the transfer portal. Teams can go from contenders to rebuilding in the space of one year. The Wildcats seem likely to learn that the hard way.

Hopefully, the program can stick together and stay competitive and aggressive.

It’s demoralizing to see this many players leave, but it’s also an opportunity for a fresh start.

Happy Sunday one and all.

We area heading into the biggest game of the season, and if you notice, every game since the bye week has been the biggest game of the season, and the Arizona Cardinals are 0-3 in those games.

Now, they get a New England Patriots team that is better than their record.

Let’s get started with a look around the web at your Arizona Cardinals.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray absorbing scrutiny he knows is coming with recent struggles
Cardinals quarterback ‘mad at myself’ for recent play but focus on Patriots

Cardinals Announce 2024 Inspire Change Changemaker Award Recipient
Roberto Del Real works for Chicanos Por La Causa

Cardinals players Jesse Luketa, Mack Wilson Sr., and Zach Pascal come together to form musical group ‘3rd&Go’
Zach Pascal, Mack Wilson Sr., Jesse Luketa go by ‘3rd&Go’

Three Big Things: Patriots Week
A look at the top storylines for Sunday’s game

Injury Report: Week 15 vs Patriots
Check in on the health of the Cardinals heading into their Week 15 matchup with the Patriots

Cardinals LB Mack Wilson Sr. faces former team, and other notes before Arizona hosts New England Patriots

Cardinals Help Kids Enjoy Main Event
Cardinals players spend time with kids from the Boys and Girls Club for an afternoon of fun at Main Event.

Jonathan Gannon Speaks With The Media About Michael Palardy, His Process, And More
Jonathan Gannon speaks with the media on Friday, December 13th.

The Pulse: Week 15 vs. Patriots
Join Cardinals insider Zach Gershman as he breaks down the loss to the Seahawks and gets inside the locker room before the home game against the Patriots.

Big Red Rage – Cardinals Cornerback Max Melton Growing In Rookie Year
Ep. 694 – Cornerback Max Melton joined Paul Calvisi and Ron Wolfley at Trophy in Chandler to discuss his rookie season, navigating the NFL Draft process, learning from a pro like Budda Baker, his comfort level in the Cardinals defense

Cardinals Cover 2 – Want To Be A Playoff Team? Then Win On Sunday
Ep. 831 – No, a win doesn’t clinch a spot in the playoffs. But if the Cardinals want to keep their postseason hopes alive, then they need to win on Sunday. They need to beat the New England Patriots at State Farm Stadium.

Best 2024 NFL rookies: Ranking top 10 players through Week 14 – ESPN
Which rookies have performed best as the 2024 NFL season heads into the final stretch? We stacked the top 10 and answered questions.

How Kyler Murray has struggled under pressure in Cards’ skid – ESPN
Since the start of Arizona’s losing streak in Week 12, the Arizona quarterback’s completion percentage, yards per attempt and touchdown-to-interception ratio have dropped against pressure.

Former NFL QB Carson Palmer to coach high school alma mater – ESPN
Carson Palmer is taking over as the head football coach at his alma mater as Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Orange County, California, made his hiring official on Friday.

Bickley: Cardinals on line of good, bad team after Seahawks loss
In the NFL, there’s a big difference between a bad day and a bad team. The Cardinals are straddling a precarious line after a 30-18 home loss to the Seahawks.

Kyler Murray on Seahawks loss: ‘I let the team down’
Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is putting Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks squarely on himself following another two-interception showing.

Cardinals’ loss to Seahawks not entirely on QB Kyler Murray
Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray deserves a lot of the blame for Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He’s not alone, though.

Can Kyler Murray, Cardinals kick sad end-of-year tradition?
Traditions are common during the holiday season. The Cardinals, however, are hoping to avoid one that’s been attached to the franchise for years.

Arizona Cardinals player promises great run defense vs. Patriots
The Cardinals defense wants to correct play that hasn’t been up to their standards and vow to do that against the Patriots.

Arizona Cardinals rookie DL Darius Robinson ‘a sponge,’ says teammate
Roy Lopez says no one needs to worry about rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson and what he will become.

Cardinals S Joey Blount gets Pat Tillman jersey in practice again
Blount was the Cardinals’ practice player of the week for the second time.

Marvin Harrison Jr’s position coach details his rookie development
Cardinals passing game coordinator/WRs coach Drew Terrell details Marvin Harrison Jr.’s rookie development and more in this week’s Q&A.

Arizona Cardinals depth chart: Rookie Isaiah Adams now the starting RG
After getting the start in Week 14 and playing every single snap, a third-round pick has now officially become a starter.