Arizona Cardinals: Head job not attractive without passer
By Jim Koch
Without a starting quarterback to showcase, the Arizona Cardinals’ head coaching position has been extremely tough to fill
The three weeks that have passed since Bruce Arians announced his retirement from the Arizona Cardinals have felt like an eternity. Fans have needed to be patient as management searches high and low for their next head coach. There is, however, one glaring factor that may be at least part of the reason for the delay.
The most important aspect to any football team is the quarterback position. It’s a rare occurrence for a squad to win without the presence of a quality signal-caller. Which brings us to the current Cardinals’ situation.
Arizona has zero quarterbacks under contract for the 2018 campaign. That alone must be making it tough for the front office to sell the Cards to prospective coaching candidates. In fact, the instability at the position may have driven away someone who had been considered a front-runner for the gig.
Reports are that Pat Shurmur will become the next head man of the New York Giants just as soon as he’s eligible to do so. The Minnesota Vikings’ offensive coordinator is part of championship weekend, and can’t be officially hired until the Vikes’ year comes to an end. The “G-men” won just two games in 2017, so why would Shurmur prefer them over Arizona?
No one knows for sure, but New York does have a two-time Super Bowl winner leading their offense. Eli Manning will return for at least one more season according to those in the know. Shurmur recently stated that he believes that their’s “still life” in the now 37-year old.
The Giants are also in superb shape to acquire Manning’s successor this offseason. New York holds the second-overall pick in this coming April’s NFL Draft. A selection that could certainly allow them to obtain a “blue-chip” quarterback to take over when Manning retires.
Another coach who was reportedly high on the Cardinals’ wish-list is the New England Patriots’ Matt Patricia. The defensive coordinator is expected to be named the head coach of the Detroit Lions as soon as the Pats’ season comes to an end. The Lions, like New York, are also set at quarterback with Matt Stafford at the helm.
The Cards lost another candidate this week when the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Munchak told them he wasn’t interested in their top post. The “Black and Gold’s” offensive line coach cited family reasons for his rejection of a second interview with Arizona. Could the non-existence of a signal-caller in the desert have also played a role in Munchak’s disinterest with the Cardinals?
Next: Don't give up on Cardinals coaching search
What “Big Red” is now left with is a contingent of second and third-tier coaching choices to run their team. Perhaps if they had a Carson Palmer or Kurt Warner on the roster, the Cards would’ve landed one of their more-covered targets. Direct proof of the importance of the quarterback position to a football organization.