Bruce Arians’ impressive tenure with the Arizona Cardinals

Bruce Arians’ five seasons as the head man of the Arizona Cardinals were arguably the best in the history of the franchise

Looking back at 2013, it’s hard to believe that Bruce Arians wasn’t the Arizona Cardinals’ first choice for their head coaching vacancy. Actually, the hiring of the long-time NFL assistant didn’t illicit much excitement at all from the club’s fan base. Knowing what we know now, perhaps it should have.

Now that his tenure is complete, an argument could be made that Arians was the greatest head coach in Cardinals’ history. The offensive guru was certainly the winningest. The 49 regular-season victories registered by Arians are the most in the franchise’s existence.

Arians’ ability to lead a contingent of footballers was apparent early on. Despite missing the playoffs in ’13, his inaugural campaign, Arizona’s new coach still won an impressive 10 games. That win total doubled what the Cards had managed just a year before, in 2012.

Arians’ group kept the momentum going in 2014. Their record stood at an excellent seven and one when starting quarterback Carson Palmer suffered a season-ending ACL tear in week 10. Backup Drew Stanton guided the squad to an 11-5 finish, but they were eliminated early on in the postseason after he too got injured.

2015’s roster was possibly the most talented and deepest that the Cardinals had ever put together. A 13-3 record included a scintillating triumph over the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the playoffs. An extremely-realistic Super Bowl dream ended, however, with a defeat to the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship game.

The wheels on the Arians train began to fall off in 2016. A misguided loyalty to special teams coach Amos Jones undoubtedly contributed significantly to a handful of losses. There were other problems as well, as Arizona finished at a disappointing 7-8-1.

Injuries took the life out of the 2017 season, especially the ones to Palmer and star running back David Johnson. A bevy of other starters also spent time on the Cards’ expansive injured-reserve list. The fact that they were still able to conclude the year with a .500 record was a testament to a terrific coaching job done by Arians and his staff.

The whispers began towards the end of ’17. Talk of Arians retiring was gaining steam. In the locker room, following a season-ending win over the Seattle Seahawks, the 65-year old tearfully told the Cardinals that the rumors of him quitting were indeed true.

All that remains now is the legacy. Some would argue that Ken Whisenhunt, Arians’ predecessor, was more successful. The Cards of 2008, led by Whisenhunt, came within two minutes and change of winning Super Bowl XLIII, before ultimately falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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The answer to who was the Cardinals’ most outstanding head coach is certainly up for debate. Several different arguments can be made. Whatever your opinion on the subject, Arians’ positive impact on Arizona football can not be denied.