The Arizona Cardinals offseason started the day after their forgettable 4-13 regular season when they fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report will win the support of the entire Arizona Cardinals fanbase regarding the fact he believes the team’s best offseason move involved firing then head coach, Kliff Kingsbury. Despite a 7-0 start and a subsequent playoff appearance in 2021, Kingsbury’s tenure deteriorated to an ugly 8-20 finish (playoffs included).
In 2022, we saw what looked like one of the NFL’s most exciting offenses disintegrate into one of the league’s worst. Quarterback Kyler Murray had issues on and off the field, and never seemed to mature as a player or as a person under Kingsbury’s leadership.
Despite the extension they signed Kingsbury and former general manager Steve Keim to, it was clear change was necessary given the Cardinals 180-degree regression from perennial playoff contender to NFL doormat within a 365-day span. And since then, it’s appropriate to give owner Michael Bidwill credit for not just ousting Kingsbury, but for replacing him with a polar opposite.
Arizona Cardinals in a better place without Kliff Kingsbury
With Jonathan Gannon on board, the Cardinals now have a defensive-minded coach who can also manage the game thanks to the fact he hired a coordinator to oversee both sides of the ball. Before Gannon’s hiring, the Cards brought on Monti Ossenfort, who has shown us that he is intent on building this team through the draft, unlike his predecessor, Steve Keim.
While it’s premature to believe the Cardinals will completely turn things around this season thanks to their unwillingness to spend big in free agency, you can also expect a smoother turnaround. They will be a defense-first team who will also design an offensive scheme based specifically for Murray.
Under Kingsbury, the dual-threat quarterback was forced to play in a scheme he was ill-equipped for. But with Drew Petzing taking over offensive coordinator duties, also from Kingsbury, Murray now has a chance to transform into one of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks.
So yes, Bleacher Report got it right when they claimed getting rid of Kingsbury was the Arizona Cardinals best move of the offseason. Now, let’s build a winning culture in the desert.
Source: Every NFL Team's Smartest 2023 Offseason Decision So Far by Kristopher Knox, BleacherReport.com