Brian Callahan may be on the radar of the Arizona Cardinals
By Jim Koch
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer recently reported that the Arizona Cardinals could pursue offensive guru Brian Callahan.
Everyone who loves the Arizona Cardinals are going crazy right about now. The ongoing dream is that we’ll soon be informed that Sean Payton has accepted an offer to be the squad’s next head coach. In the meantime, the Cards appear to be lining up fallback options for the all-important position.
In a recent report, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote that Arizona could be looking to set up an interview an intriguing, young candidate. Brian Callahan, the offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, could be in line to become the replacement for Kliff Kingsbury. The Redbirds need someone who can get the best out of quarterback Kyler Murray, and the 38-year-old Callahan may be perfect for the job.
For the past four campaigns, Callahan has worked behind the scenes to make the Bengals offense into a prolific scoring machine. Head coach Zac Taylor is calling the plays, but the knowledgeable Callahan deserves a lot of the credit as well. The blossoming assistant certainly has the endorsement of Cincinnati running back Joe Mixon.
"“I feel like what Cally has done for us and in his past speaks for itself. The way he leads the guys, it”s like no other man. I think the world of Cally”. – via SI.com."
Brian Callahan’s NFL resume could intrigue the Arizona Cardinals brass
Besides his time with the Bengals, Callahan’s “past” includes stints with the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions and the Raiders when they were still residing in Oakland. Along the way, he has worked with talented signal-callers like Peyton Manning, Matt Stafford and Derek Carr. It’s the job that Callahan has done with Joe Burrow, however, that has head-coach needy franchises vying for his services.
Under Callahan’s guidance, Burrow completed 68.3% of his passes for 4,475 yards and 35 touchdowns this past fall. In 2021, Cincy’s top-overall draft pick from 2020 posted an NFL-best 70.4 completion percentage, and racked up 4,611 passing yards and 34 scores through the air. The Cardinals would be jumping for joy if a coaching hire could coax such impressive numbers out of Murray.
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According to Breer, the Cards could be looking to conduct an interview with Callahan sometime in the next several days. The Super Bowl bye week is upon us, so the result of the AFC Championship matchup between the Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs will have no bearing on a potential meeting. If Payton falls through, don’t be surprised if Arizona’s brass strongly considers rolling with the up and coming Callahan.
(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)
Article Source: Joe Mixon On Brian Callahan’s Head Coach Interview: ‘You Deserve To Have Your Shot’ by Russ Heltman
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