Analyst: Kingsbury, Keim Extensions Was Cardinals' Biggest Mistake

Extending Kingsbury and Keim was the organization's biggest mistake, according to ESPN.

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals have made a few mistakes in recent years, though in ESPN's rankings of the worst decisions for each franchise since 2020, one obvious error sticks out: Contract extensions for previous head coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim.

Each team's worst decision was ranked from 1-32, and Arizona's mishap ranked No. 15 in the NFL:

"Between the two, Keim's new deal seemed more curious than that of his head coach. Though the Cardinals were coming off an 11-6 season and a playoff berth, Keim's recent track record in the draft had already looked abysmal. He had whiffed on his first-rounders in 2016 (Robert Nkemdiche), 2017 (Haason Reddick), 2018 (Josh Rosen) and 2020 (Isaiah Simmons). Reddick had spent years playing out of position before excelling in his final season as an edge rusher, but the team lost him in free agency. His only first-round pick who became a success was Kyler Murray, who was drafted in 2019 to replace Rosen after one season. Kingsbury, likewise, was hired to replace Steve Wilks, who was a one-and-done coach in 2018," wrote Bill Barnwell.

"The Cardinals went 4-13 in 2022. One year after ownership thought the coach and general manager deserved extensions into 2027, one bad season was enough to lead to a total overhaul. The Cardinals fired Kingsbury, while Keim left the team to focus on his health. They gave lengthy extensions to a coach with one winning season and a general manager who already had a questionable track record of recent drafts even before a disaster season, then paid tens of millions of dollars for their deals."

It's pretty tough to disagree with Barnwell's pick and rationale, though the Cardinals did do well in not waiting too long to cut ties with both, bringing on new coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort to help turn the tide of the organization.

So far so good, though the Kingsbury/Keim era won't be looked at too kindly even as years start to fill the calendar.