Rhule, Reich Gone: Is Kliff Kingsbury Next to be Fired?

Two head coaches have already been relieved of their duties. Is Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury next?

Donnie Druin | Nov 7, 2022

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Arizona Cardinals

Change could be on the horizon for the Arizona Cardinals.

Monday saw the Indianapolis Colts relieve Frank Reich of his duties after a poor 3-5-1 start. The Colts' offense hasn't been able to find any rhythm, and the team as a whole has looked nothing short of dysfunctional despite the talent littered across the depth chart.

Sound familiar?

Matt Rhule was the first to go after his short stint in Carolina had run its course. Reich followed a few weeks later. Both had recently signed extensions with their respective teams.

Now, the buzz around the Cardinals will only grow for the organization to fire head coach Kliff Kingsbury after an ugly 3-6 start.

But will the Cardinals pull the trigger?

Since his arrival, Arizona has steadily improved under Kingsbury's watch. They've come a long way from having the No. 1 pick in 2019, reaching the postseason in Kingsbury's third season.

Yet the NFL is very much a "what can you do for me now?" league, and there hasn't been much made in the kitchen despite the ingredients available.

There's pressure to produce now with all of Kingsbury, quarterback Kyler Murray and general manager Steve Keim receiving massive extensions in the offseason. Playoff expectations were the minimum heading into 2022. Now, watching the Super Bowl be played in their own stadium is a certainty.

"The Cardinals are 10/1 longshots to make the playoffs in any capacity, a tough pill to swallow for an organization that had Super Bowl dreams just a couple short months ago," wrote Kyle Odegard.

Prior to this week, Arizona needed a 3-0 wipe of NFC West opponents to put themselves back in competitive waters. Sunday's loss to Seattle was a perfect culmination of hope and self-destruction all at once.

"It's something we have to all look at, as a staff, as a team because it's hurting us. I haven't been around this through this many games where it continues to show up and so we'll continue to talk through it and try to find ways to get it fixed," said Kingsbury following the loss.

That's been the same message rinsed and repeated since Week 1's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kingsbury's fate ultimately boils down to owner Michael Bidwill and the level of patience he demonstrates. In his defense, he was without DeAndre Hopkins for the first six games of the season and the injuries have piled up for the Cardinals thus far.

Yet this is why coaches are paid those millions of dollars: To help overcome the adversity that comes with each season, to figure out ways to keep things moving when obstacles lie ahead in the road, and to generally improve their football team.

Kingsbury, heralded as an offensive genius, has yet to prove he can do that.

This Cardinals team isn't peaking. Even if they were, it wouldn't matter now with their slim chances of making the postseason.

Fans have been pleading with Bidwill to make a change. If a move is done in-season, it's important to note the Cardinals already have somebody with head coaching experience in defensive coordinator Vance Joseph ready to take over.

We can discuss failures at the micro level in Arizona, but things start at the top. Kingsbury's seat is too hot to sit in at this point in time, and his future is as up in the air as anybody else's now.

Will ownership make a move?

It's nearly time to start thinking about the future in Arizona, and the Cardinals need to truly ask themselves if Kingsbury is going to be the guy to ensure the train gets back on the right track.

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