Kliff Kingsbury Gets Brutally Honest About Leaving Cardinals

Former Arizona Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury got candid in an interview with ESPN.
Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury against the Arizona Cardinals in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury against the Arizona Cardinals in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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ARIZONA -- Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury is thriving in his role as the Washington Commanders' offensive coordinator this season.

Washington - now moving on to the NFC's Divisional round of the postseason - has seen a resurgence under Kingsbury and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Kingsbury's come a long way since being fired from the Cardinals after a dismal 2022 season, one where he says he nearly lost his love for the game and called it quits entirely.

"All I'd done is football for a long time, and I was just like, 'Hey, I've had enough.' The last year in Arizona was just ... a lot of things we went through made it feel like it was not for me anymore," Kingsbury told ESPN's John Keim in an interview.

One source close to Kingsbury told ESPN, "It was Hard Knocks, Kyler [Murray] was hurt and pissed off. There was a ton of stuff. Injuries."

Keim also highlighted that Kingsbury and Murray's relationship soured towards the end of their tenure together, as Kingsbury would avoid confrontation with players in the locker room and even struggled with key figures such as owner Michael Bidwill and general manager Steve Keim.

Kingsbury was fired after four seasons in Arizona that yielded just one playoff appearance and no victories in postseason play. After spending 2023 with USC as their quarterbacks coach, Kingsbury joined Washington - and it's been a perfect match since.

Just ask tight end Zach Ertz, who joined his former head coach with the Commanders this offseason.

"He's just more outgoing, he's more open," said Ertz when comparing Kingsbury's time in Arizona to Washington.

"He's communicating. He's telling stories that maybe he wouldn't have. He's interacting with guys more, just the way he goes back and forth with guys in the front of the meeting room. He's direct when he has to be but also joking at times. He has a good balance."

Kingsbury previously highlighted his shortcomings in Arizona when reflecting back on his time with the Cardinals:

"... I don't think I set the foundation [in Arizona] the way I would do it after watching DQ [Dan Quinn] and how he set the foundation from day one. These are the standards, this is what we want, this is what we're going to be," Kingsbury said.

"I definitely could have done a better job of that and kind of once you don't lay it out like that, it's hard to put it back in."


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Donnie Druin
DONNIE DRUIN

Donnie Druin is the Publisher for All Cardinals and Inside The Suns. Donnie moved to Arizona in 2012 and has been with Fan Nation since 2018. In college he won "Best Sports Column" in the state of Arizona for his section and has previously provided coverage for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona State Sun Devils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin for more news, updates, analysis and more!