Former Arizona Cardinals head coach could return to a familiar place

Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury could become the next offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots. 

This past Monday, the Arizona Cardinals announced that Kliff Kingsbury would not return as the team’s head coach in 2023. Owner Michael Bidwill paid homage to the man he fired, calling Kingsbury one of the hardest-working coaches in professional football.

Now that he’s no longer with the Cardinals, Kingsbury will more than likely begin to search for a new gig. Another head coaching position for the offensive guru seems unlikely, at least for now. At the same time, there’s no reason to think that Kingsbury wouldn’t be considered for a coordinator position.

A return to the college ranks is certainly a possibility, but there’s also a chance that the unemployed coach could be intrigued by an offer to remain at the professional level. Actually, there’s a particular NFL job that would make a ton of sense for Kingsbury.

Kliff Kingsbury could stay in the NFL after being fired by the Arizona Cardinals

Back in 2003, Kingsbury was drafted in the sixth round by the New England Patriots. The young quarterback had no shot at playing, considering the fact that the great Tom Brady was standing in his way. The “G.O.A.T.” had already led the Pats to a Super Bowl championship, and would be the squad’s starter until he left the organization for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

The knowledge that Kingsbury would acquire during his one season in New England would be invaluable. Individuals with coaching aspirations would probably pay good money to spend a year with a future Hall of Famer like Patriots head man Bill Belichick. Could Kingsbury end up reuniting with the franchise and Belichick some 20 years later?

New England, at the present time, is in desperate need of an offensive coordinator. Defensive-minded Matt Patricia shared those duties with former special teams boss Joe Judge over the past several months. It goes without saying that Kingsbury would be a huge upgrade over both of those ill-quipped assistants.

It’s no secret that the Patriots will be looking to improve in that area of the coaching staff in 2023. There’s already talk that Belichick is interested in bringing back Bill O’Brien to ignite the scoring attack. The 53-year-old spent five campaigns (2007-11) in New England, and is currently the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama.

Kingsbury could be, and should be, on the Patriots’ radar as well. Presiding over an entire NFL team may have been too much, too soon for the 43-year-old. Being able to concentrate solely on the Patriots’ offensive attack could be a job description that’s much more in Kingsbury’s wheelhouse.

Want your voice heard? Join the Raising Zona team!

Write for us!