The Arizona Cardinals have got to righten a wrong and get rid of Kliff Kingsbury. Here are three potential replacements for the much-maligned coach.
Last week, I talked about Sean Payton and why he could end up in coaching the Cardinals. Today, I don’t want to talk about Payton, since there are still other potential and viable candidates out there. The coaches I will talk about, however, either have experience as an NFL head coach, or they have proven themselves worthy enough to become one.
For the coaches listed that have NFL experience, they also have a sound amount of success coaching in this league, starting with my favorite. Someone who was fired a few years back and never should have been.
1 – Jason Garrett
While it’s true Jason Garrett never pushed the Dallas Cowboys past the NFC Divisional Playoffs, he also should have gotten to the NFC Championship Game at least once. A blown call after a surefire catch from Dez Bryant doomed the Cowboys, and one can only wonder what could have been.
If Michael Bidwill were to hire a coach like Garrett, he also wouldn’t need to tear down the Arizona Cardinals. Garrett would be more than willing to work with quarterback Kyler Murray. And with an arsenal that includes DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown, among others, the Cardinals may be able to cook.
2 – Frank Reich
No one faces adversity better than Reich, who once led the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs following a 1-5 start. Unlike most NFL head coaches, it’s not Reich’s fault that he was fired. Over the past three seasons, his Colts had Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan as their starting quarterbacks.
Not a bad group, and one that includes two potential Hall of Famers. But also a group that are no more than bridges and has-beens at the respective stages in their careers. Rivers was good, but he was 39. Wentz had been finished for a while now and recently lost his job to Taylor Heinicke. Ryan is 37 and in the twilight of his career.
Give Reich someone like Kyler Murray, and you could see them both look like the coach and player everyone expected them to be. If Reich can finish 7-9 with Jacoby Brissett playing quarterback in 2019, then he can get way more out of Murray. And something tells me Murray will respect Reich a bit more than he’s respected Kingsbury.
3 – Byron Leftwich
Leftwich is going to be an NFL head coach, and I would love it to be with the Arizona Cardinals. A familiar face in the desert, Leftwich coached under Bruce Arians and Steve Wilks, even serving as the interim offensive coordinator in 2018.
In 2019, he rejoined Arians’ staff in Tampa, where he won a Super Bowl in 2020 with a 43-year-old Tom Brady. Leftwich has a proven track record, and he has coached under one of the most respected names in Cardinals history. Of the three coaches listed in this article, Leftwich seems like the most natural fit.
Want your voice heard? Join the Raising Zona team!