Arizona Cardinals: Nothing to do but wait on Bruce Arians
By Scott Allen
Amid reports that Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians is retiring, they went out and beat the Seattle Seahawks 26-24 in the season finale
It wasn’t going to happen after the game on Sunday but reports say it will come soon. Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said after his team’s win in Seattle on Sunday that his decision about his future will come very soon.
The decision will be made public likely within the next day or two. Arians would not confirm anything on Sunday, nor should we have expected him to. Sunday was about winning a football game.
The Cardinals sent Arians out as the winningest head coach in team history. Sunday’s victory was number 50 in his Cardinals career.
To be able to finish at .500 with an 8-8 record, that is saying something. Ignore all the haters who said he was done and the Cardinals should fire him. Not happening.
If Arians leaves this week, it is on his own accord. General manager Steve Keim gave him a huge hug on the sidelines after the game concluded. Arians had a huge fist pump after Seahawks kicker Blair Walsh missed the potential game-winning field goal, seemingly like a guy who just coached his last game would.
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This should be said though. Don’t believe any reports, even if they come from reputable sources like ESPN’s Adam Schefter, until you hear it directly from Arians himself.
Sure, it certainly sounds like he is gone. It also sounds as if the Cardinals would love to have him one more season. From the post game presser, it sounds like Arians’ wife would like him to leave.
You can’t blame her. And you the fans shouldn’t be blaming Arians for the 8-8 record this season or 7-8-1 in 2016. In fact one could argue he did his best coaching job this year getting them to finish 8-8 with 15 players on injured reserve.
Those on injured reserve included his starting quarterback in Carson Palmer, starting running back David Johnson, his replacement Adrian Peterson, starting right tackle D.J. Humphries, guard Mike Iupati…the list goes on. Every week it seemed as if another player was lost to injury.
Whetever the decision is, the Cardinals are prepared for it. We will dig more into the decision once it is made public. For what it’s worth, I hope he stays. If he chooses to retire, all we should do is say thank you.