Are the Seahawks still the biggest rival for Arizona Cardinals fans?

Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) reacts in the first half against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

GLENDALE – For a rivalry to stay alive in the NFL, it needs more than history; it needs relevance and fan interaction. That’s where the tension between the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks gets interesting, as it has all of that and more. RotoWire’s recent analysis has the Seahawks as the most hated team in the entire state.

Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) tackles Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (33) in the third quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

RotoWire’s recent fan survey points to the Seattle Seahawks as the most hated team among Cardinals fans, citing sustained engagement spikes during matchup weeks and higher negative sentiment across digital platforms. The data checks out, but that alone doesn’t always capture emotion in real time; it captures habits. A decade ago, this rivalry was fueled by the stakes of playoff positioning and defensive slugfests. The Pete Carroll and era Seahawks represented a ceiling that struggled to break. That frustration hardened into identity. The didn’t just grow to dislike Seattle; they measured themselves against them.