Does a former Arizona Cardinals head coach deserve a second chance in the NFL?

While it’s premature to believe former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury will become a head coach in the NFL again, or at least anytime soon following his ill-fated tenure in the desert, it doesn’t mean he won’t return in another capacity. This past week, Adam Jahns of The Athletic listed Kingsbury as one of several potential offensive coordinator candidates for the Chicago Bears, citing the coach’s connection to the potential number one overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams. 

Such a move looks like it would make sense on paper, and if Kingsbury became the offensive coordinator in Chicago, it could foreshadow the team snagging Williams on April 25th. However, should the Bears put their trust in Kingsbury following his sometimes horrendous play-calling and collegiate-like system that led the Cardinals to just one playoff appearance, no playoff wins, and no division titles?

Sure, Kingsbury’s system worked at times, but when opponents figured him out, often by midseason, Arizona tanked. This isn’t to say Kingsbury hasn’t grown, but if you recall his days at Texas Tech, his teams also regressed during the later parts of the season. 

Chicago would be wise to shy away from the former Arizona Cardinals coach

Kingsbury isn’t an NFL coach regardless if he’s the top man on the sidelines, or in this case, as a coordinator. There have also been rumors, as Ryan Gaydos of Fox News reported, of Kingsbury snagging another head coaching job at the collegiate level, and that’s where he should remain for the rest of his coaching career. 

Many coaches have tried transitioning to the NFL while trying to maintain their college offense and failed, with Kingsbury being just the latest example. Therefore, unless the Bears plan on taking another step back in 2024, which could cost head coach Matt Eberflus his job, they need to be wise and pick someone better-equipped to run an NFL offense, not a failed coach at football’s highest level.