There is talk around the league that Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray’s torn ACL could grant head coach Kliff Kingsbury a reprieve.
We got turmoil going on all over the Arizona Cardinals organization. So in case you missed it, on Monday night the Redbirds lost quarterback Kyler Murray to a torn ACL. And later in the week, general manager Steve Keim stepped aside for health-related reasons.
This leaves Kliff Kingsbury as the remaining individual in the much-maligned Kliff-Steve Keim-Kyler Murray triangle. And despite the bad raps we have given recently to Kyler Murray, the undersized former number one overall pick is still a top 15 quarterback, and he could be even better if paired with a coach who tailored the offense to fit his skill-set and style.
Earlier in the month, I stated the Cardinals never should have drafted Murray in 2019. One reason stemmed from the fact Murray wasn’t an Air Raid quarterback, but a dual threat. For some strange reason, everyone in the Cardinals front office thought Air Raid Kliff and dual threat Kyler would mesh. They have at times, but ultimately, it’s been stagnant.
Arizona Cardinals should not give Kliff Kingsbury benefit of the doubt
No, Steve Keim was never great at drafting. But he did bring in the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, Zach Ertz, and Marquise Brown. Three remarkable players who, although they rarely saw the field together, should have helped Kliff produce better results offensively. That hasn’t been the case.
Want more fun? Since their 7-0 start in 2021, the Arizona Cardinals are 8-16 if you count their loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the 2022 Wildcard Playoffs. I don’t know if you kept track, but 8-16 gives us a winning percentage of 0.333.
Suppose the Cardinals lose out and finish 4-13. That would make them 8-20, for a percentage of 0.285. If they lose out, the Cardinals should most definitely fire Kliff. If he finishes 2-2, he is looking at a record of 10-18, which puts him at a 0.357 win percentage. Again, fire him.
The only way Kliff should get considered for another go is if his Cardinals either win out, which isn’t going to happen, or if he finishes 3-1. Which also isn’t going to happen.
And even then, owner Michael Bidwill and the Arizona Cardinals interim management should have Kliff under a full evaluation before moving forward. It will be interesting to see what occurs.
Article Source: Arizona Cardinals: Will The Kyler Murray Injury Grant Kliff Kingsbury Another Season As Head Coach? by Hunter Haas
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