Cardinals Extend Kliff Kingsbury, Steve Keim
The Cardinals have agreed to brand new deals with head coach Kliff Kingsbury and GM Steve Keim (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Per the team’s official announcement Keim and Kingsbury are now signed through the 2027 season. 
[RELATED: Latest On Cardinals, Murray]
“The leadership of both Steve and Kliff have been key factors in the team’s turnaround over the last three seasons,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said. “We are all looking forward to continuing that progress and recognize these two individuals will be a big part of achieving our long-term goals as an organization.”
Under their leadership, the Cardinals reached the postseason for the first time since 2015. Of course, it wasn’t all roses in 2021 either. The Cardinals went 9-2 in the first eleven games of the season, but went on to lose five of its final seven contests, including the playoffs. For what it’s worth, Kingsbury’s collegiate and pro teams have gone a combined 42-20-1 record in the first seven games of a season, and 17-45 from Game 8 onward.
For his part, Bidwill believes that DeAndre Hopkins‘ late-season absence played a huge role in the Cardinals’ collapse.
“I think [the struggles are] a combination of things, certainly (Hopkins’) impact on the field and off the field is huge,” Bidwill said (via Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network). “And losing him from not only a football Xs and Os standpoint, but also from an emotional standpoint was big.”
Now, the Cardinals can turn their attention to other offseason matters, including the future of quarterback Kyler Murray. The former No. 1 overall pick missed three games due to a high ankle sprain and didn’t look the same afterwards. Then came the playoff game against the Rams, his worst showing of the season.
“The window has just opened for a contract extension. Certainly he’s part of our long-term plan,” Bidwill said recently. “Most of the big ones are done further down the road, I think Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen were done in the summer time. Others were done in the summer time. So we’ve got time, but they’re complicated.”
Latest On Kyler Murray’s Contract Status
After drama started to build around the Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray, the team seemed to make it clear they plan on extending him. Today, his agent made a strong statement putting pressure on the team to make that new deal their top priority (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 
[Related: Cards’ Owner Bidwill On Kyler Murray]
“Kyler wants to be direct with loyal Arizona Cardinals fans and the great community of the Valley in stating his two very important goals and objectives”, it begins, listing those two goals as remaining the Cardinals’ QB long-term, and winning a Super Bowl with the team. It stresses that “achieving both goals will take incredible commitment from himself and the entire organization”.
It further states that Murray’s camp has sent “a detailed contract proposal to the organization” which “provides financial protection, is in-line with the current QB market that compares his results alongside relevant comps, lowers his 2022-23 salary-cap number to allow the Cardinals to re-sign other deserving teammates and add additional free agents, and, most importantly, represents a real commitment from the organization”.
The move publicly puts the ball in the organization’s court, stating that “actions speak much louder than words in this volatile business”, a reference to owner Michael Bidwill recently saying the team has had “good conversations” with the 24-year-old and is eyeing the summer as a time to hammer out a new deal. However, the statement reads, “words and hypothetical contractual promises are regularly dismissed“, further pushing for a new pact to be offered as soon as possible.
The statement concludes that Murray “remains hopeful that the organization chooses to commit“, something they can do as early as the new league year in mid-March. As Bidwill noted in his recent comments, however, recent mega-deals with emerging QBs like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen were both signed in the summer, after free agency and the draft had passed. Whether the club opts to stick to that kind of timeline – or, alternatively, let him play out the fourth and potentially fifth years of his rookie deal, not unlike the Ravens and Lamar Jackson – will be even more of a key offseason storyline after this.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes that Murray is due roughly 5.5MM this season (video link). He states, however, that he doesn’t expect Murray to play at that figure in 2022. Overall, then, this situation is set to remain one of the most important in the upcoming QB market.
Cardinals Owner Michael Bidwill On HC Kliff Kingsbury
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill touched on a number of key topics during a Friday radio interview, including rumors of acrimony between the team and QB Kyler Murray. In addition to his affirmation that Murray remains in the Cards’ long-term plans and that he has had “good conversations non-stop” with his star signal-caller, Bidwill also discussed head coach Kliff Kingsbury‘s future in the desert.
“I look at the college coaches who have made the transition from college to the pros and the ones that are successful, and Kliff is [successful],” Bidwill said (via Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network). Throughout the interview, Bidwill reiterated that Kingsbury has a “bright future” and gave no indication that he is on a short leash.
Wilson, though, says that the 42-year-old HC is on “something of a hot seat” heading into 2022. If true, that would be due to Arizona’s late-season swoon that culminated in an ugly wildcard round loss to the eventual-Super Bowl champion Rams.
Indeed, we heard in early December that an extension for Kingsbury was one of the Cardinals’ top offseason priorities, but that report surfaced at a time when Arizona was sitting at 9-2. The team would go on to lose five of its final seven games, including the playoff defeat, which added to the narrative that Kingsbury is unable to make necessary in-season adjustments. As Wilson notes, Kingsbury’s teams at both the collegiate and professional levels have a 42-20-1 record in the first seven games of a season but are just 17-45 from the eighth game forward.
Bidwill ascribed the Cardinals’ stumbles down the stretch of the 2021 campaign primarily to the injuries sustained by Murray and top wideout DeAndre Hopkins. “I think [the struggles are] a combination of things, certainly (Hopkins’) impact on the field and off the field is huge,” Bidwill said. “And losing him from not only a football Xs and Os standpoint, but also from an emotional standpoint was big.”
He added, “Kyler got injured for three games. He certainly, before the injury, was playing at the top of his game, and then he came back. I think having a healthy Kyler Murray is always better than Kyler coming off of an injury. This team has a bright future and I’m excited about it, especially knowing those guys are coming back 100 percent.”
Kingsbury’s contract expires at the end of the 2022 season, though Arizona holds a team option for 2023. It remains to be seen if the Cardinals will explore an extension in the coming months, or if they wait to see if Kingsbury can overcome his reputation as a fast starter but slow finisher (as well as the concerns that have been expressed about his play-calling acumen).
At least publicly, Bidwill is confident in his HC’s abilities. “I feel like (Kingsbury’s) had an adjustment period. Had a few years to adjust and I feel like he’s going to get better and better because I feel like he understands the pro rules and the pro game and the pro speed and everything else much better than he did a couple of years ago,” Bidwill said. “[W]e’ve got a bright future together. Kliff, Kyler, [general manager] Steve [Keim], all of us have to make great contributions as we go forward. I know they have a great relationship.”
Cards’ Owner Bidwill On Kyler Murray
With everything starting to appear copacetic between the Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray, the team’s owner, Michael Bidwill, addressed the 24-year-old’s future in Arizona, as reported by Jeremy Cluff of The Arizona Republic. As Murray heads into the fourth year of his rookie contract, Bidwill discussed the possibility for an extension. 
“The window has just opened for a contract extension. Certainly he’s part of our long-term plan,” Bidwill said of Murray. “Most of the big ones are done further down the road, I think Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen were done in the summer time. Others were done in the summer time. So we’ve got time, but they’re complicated.”
In respect to the turmoil surrounding the quarterback, Bidwill claimed he and Murray have had “good conversations non-stop.”
While expressing the desire to give Murray an extension out of his rookie contract, Bidwill also acknowledged that the team has other priorities, as well, namely bringing back some key free agents. He recently expressed his wishes to retain two-time All-Pro linebacker Chandler Jones, which Jones appeared scoff at. Newcomers to the desert, running back James Conner and tight end Zach Ertz, have both made it known that they would be more than happy to consider re-signing.
Other Cardinals headed to free agency include running back Chase Edmonds, wide receiver Christian Kirk, veteran wideout A.J. Green, and tight end Maxx Williams. While the Cardinals’ owner is looking forward to finding a way to keep Murray long-term, he and his front office have some work to do in the meantime.
Cardinals Want To Re-Sign Chandler Jones
Since Chandler Jones requested a trade ahead of last season, not much has emerged about his prospects of staying in Arizona on another new contract. He played out his previous deal and is now a month from testing the market for the first time.
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said Friday he “would love” to have Jones back. Of course, there are some complications. Jones’ age, the fact that he has been previously franchise-tagged and other teams’ potential willingness to outbid Arizona stand to affect Jones’ status with the team.
“I can tell you we love Chandler and we would love to have him back,” Bidwill said during an appearance on Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta (via ArizonaSports.com). “The devil’s in the details. I’ll leave that up to [GM] Steve [Keim] and Chandler’s representatives to work on. But we love Chandler and what he’s done for us in the past and hopefully in the future as well.”
Jones did not appear to take Bidwill’s comments at face value, firing off some laughing emojis on Twitter shortly after. Some bad blood has been in the mix here for a bit. The Cardinals refused to adjust Jones’ deal last year, and the talented outside linebacker skipped minicamp and requested a trade in response. Jones was back with the team for the regular season and forced six fumbles, the second-most he has has tallied in a season, en route to his fourth Pro Bowl.
The Cards tagged Jones in 2017, and the NFL’s tag formula would make re-tagging Jones a tough proposition for the team. Because Jones’ cap number came in at $20.2MM last season, his tag figure would be 120% of that — as opposed to the standard linebacker tag, which is set to come in around $18MM — and cost the Cards nearly $25MM. This puts the Cardinals to a difficult decision, given Jones’ impact.
Acquired from the Patriots via trade in 2016, Jones has thrived in the desert. Jones has three double-digit sack seasons, including a 10.5-sack slate in 2021, and two All-Pro nods as a Cardinal. The Cards’ hopes of a Jones-J.J. Watt tandem fizzled, after another major injury sidelined Watt for much of the season, but Watt remains under contract for next season. Jones will turn 31 this weekend and missed much of the 2020 season due to a biceps injury, further complicating matters for the Cards, who also have Zach Ertz, Christian Kirk, James Conner and Chase Edmonds set for free agency.
Arizona losing Jones would represent a major blow. The Cards let Haason Reddick walk after his breakthrough contract year and, talent notwithstanding, cannot count on Watt. The team’s other outside linebacker starter, Markus Golden, is under contract for one more season.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Chiefs, Dupree, Weddle
First-round draft pick Alex Leatherwood had an up-and-down rookie season in Las Vegas. After struggling a bit at right tackle, Leatherwood was moved to guard to fill in after injuries to starters Richie Incognito and Denzelle Good. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the Raiders’ former staff intended to move Leatherwood back to his drafted position next season.
The decision is now out of their hands and in the hands of new offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. With Kolton Miller set at left tackle and Andre James filling in admirably this season with the loss of center Rodney Hudson in a trade to the Cardinals last year, the Raiders have three offensive line spots with which to play around. Bricillo’s placement of Leatherwood will likely depend on how they choose to address those open positions.
Here are a few more notes from around the AFC, starting with another note from the West:
- Adam Teicher of ESPN reported that Chiefs’ reserve cornerback Chris Lammons is facing charges of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit battery in connection with the incident involving Alvin Kamara. The special teamer was a practice squad member for the Saints back in 2018. Lammons didn’t enter a plea, posting bail after turning himself in. He is set to appear in court again on March 8.
- In other legal action, Titans’ linebacker Bud Dupree turned himself in on a misdemeanor assault charge this past Friday stemming from an incident last month in a Nashville Walgreens, according to Natalie Neysa Alund of the Tennessean. Dupree reported for booking, was fingerprinted, had his mugshot taken, and was released. He will return to court for a settlement hearing on April 22.
- Lastly, former NFL safety Eric Weddle, who recently retired from the league for the second time, has taken on the head coaching position at Rancho Bernardo High School near his old home of San Diego. The team announced the hire on their Facebook page earlier today. I know, I know, technically Weddle was most recently an NFC player, but, having spent 12 of his 14 NFL seasons in the AFC, I’m going to count it. Always known as one of the more cerebral players in the NFL, it will be interesting to see if Weddle pursues coaching beyond the high school level at some point in the future.
AFC Coaching Notes: Texans, Browns, Bettcher, Ravens, Gould
The Texans have hired former Dolphins’ coaching assistant Kenyon Jackson in the position of assistant defensive line coach, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Son of former Pro Bowl tight end Keith Jackson, Kenyon played defensive tackle at the University of Illinois under new Texans’ head coach Lovie Smith.
In what is starting to seem like a trend, Smith also hired Dele Harding as a defensive assistant. Harding also played for Smith at Illinois, serving for two years as a team captain at linebacker.
Here are a few more notes on coaching changes in the AFC, starting with a note from the location of this weekend’s NBA All-Star game:
- The Browns have hired Jordan Thomas in the role of assistant defensive line coach, according to Wilson. Thomas has coached defensive linemen at San Diego State and spent time at Lamar and Texas A&M University-Kingsville, as well. In addition, the Browns added Jeff Anderson to the staff as a defensive quality control coach.
- Staying in the Buckeye State, recent 2021 NFL runner-ups the Bengals have made a move to replace former linebackers coach Al Golden. Golden is headed back to the college coaching ranks to become Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, former NFL defensive coordinator James Bettcher will fill the role. After time as the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals and Giants, Bettcher spent last season as a senior defensive assistant in San Francisco.
- Staying in the AFC North, Baltimore brought in former Texans’ offensive line coach Mike Devlin to become the Ravens’ assistant offensive line coach, according to Wilson. Devlin coached big men for the Jets before Houston and at Toledo before that. The Ravens will certainly welcome the help for an offensive line that frequently had quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley scrambling for their lives last year.
- Lastly, the Chargers have hired 49ers’ kicker Robbie Gould‘s kid brother Chris Gould. The 36-year-old was a former kicker in the Arena Football League and will be the Chargers’ assistant special teams coach, a role he’s held for the past five seasons for the Broncos. Additionally, the Chargers have hired Brendan Nugent as their new offensive line coach. Last year was Nugent’s first year coaching offensive linemen in the NFL in his seventh year with the Saints. He’ll 17 years of NFL coaching experience to Los Angeles.
Cardinals Release Malcolm Butler From Reserve/Retired List; CB Considering Comeback
Malcolm Butler did not play in 2021, informing the Cardinals of a retirement decision just before the season began. While the Cards previously held Butler’s rights, the former Super Bowl hero is unattached again.
The Cardinals released Butler from their reserve-retired list Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This might not be a formality, with Rapoport adding the veteran cover man is considering a comeback. Butler has been working out regularly in preparation for a likely return, per NFL.com’s Mike Giardi (on Twitter).
Arizona defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said just before last season a Butler comeback remained in play, but he stayed retired. Butler will turn 32 in two weeks. His retirement decision left the Cardinals shorthanded on the outside last season, though Robert Alford‘s return after two injury-nixed years helped the playoff-qualifying team’s cause. Alford is now on track for free agency.
Prior to the late-summer retirement, Butler logged seven NFL seasons and did well for himself financially despite arriving in the league as a UDFA. The Patriots slapped a first-round RFA tender on Butler in 2017, and the Titans gave him a five-year, $61.25MM deal in 2018 as a free agent. Tennessee bailed on that contract last March. Arizona signed Butler to a one-year, $3.25MM accord weeks later.
NFC Coaching Notes: Giants, Seahawks, Bears
Brian Daboll is naturally making some changes to the Giants coaching staff. Per Aaron Wilson on Twitter (detailed in four tweets), the Giants have hired Drew Wilkins as linebackers coach, Christian Jones as an offensive assistant, Laura Young as director of coaching operations, Bobby Johnson as offensive line coach, Shea Tierney as quarterbacks coach, DeAndre Smith as running backs coach, Mike Groh as wide receivers coach, Andy Bischoff as tight ends coach, Tony Sparano Jr. as assistant offensive line coach, and Andre Patterson as defensive line coach.
Daboll also retained a handful of holdovers from Joe Judge’s staff. That grouping includes Jerome Henderson (defensive backs coach), Mike Treier (assistant defensive backs coach), Anthony Blevins (special teams assistant), and Nick Williams (special teams quality control coach).
Finally, the Giants shifted Ryan Hollern to college scouting coordinator and named Mark Loecher as assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Some more coaching notes out of the NFC…
- The Seahawks will promote Andy Dickerson to their offensive line coach, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson (via Twitter). Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron recruited Dickerson from the Rams last offseason, with Dickerson earning the role of run-game coordinator. Now, he’ll earn the (apparent) promotion to OL coach. The Seahawks fired former offensive line coach Mike Solari last week, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). This was the 67-year-old’s second stint with the organization, and he had served as the team’s OL coach since 2018.
- The Bears announced last week that they hired Carlos Polk as their assistant special teams coach. The 44-year-old coach has served in the same role with a handful of teams, including the Chargers, Buccaneers, Cowboys, and Jaguars. He spent the 2021 campaign in Jacksonville.
- The Cardinals have hired Matt Burke as their defensive line coach, reports Pelissero (on Twitter). The 45-year-old was the Dolphins defensive coordinator between 2017 and 2018, and he most recently worked for the Jets as a “game management coach.” Burke has also had coaching stints with the Eagles, Bengals, Lions, and Titans.
- The Vikings have hired Brian Angelichio as their pass game coordinator/tight ends coach, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter). Angelichio spent the past two years as the Panthers tight ends coach, so he’s getting a slight promotion in Minnesota. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the Vikings are hiring Jerrod Johnson as an offensive assistant. Johnson is expected to work with the QBs. The coach was a two-time participant in the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, and he spent last season as the Colts quality control coach.
- Matt Rhule has made some changes to his staff. The Panthers announced that they’ve hired Joe Dailey as wide receivers coach. Dailey has spent the past two seasons as Boston College’s offensive coordinator. Meanwhile, Robert Kugler was hired as assistant offensive line coach while defensive analyst Kevin Gilbride Jr. was promoted to TE coach (replacing Angelichio).
Latest On Cardinals, QB Kyler Murray
This past weekend, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen suggested that there was acrimony between the Cardinals and QB Kyler Murray, with “sources” describing the quarterback as a self-centered, immature finger-pointer. Well, Murray is now firing back via Twitter, saying he’s not about “this nonsense.”
[RELATED: Acrimony Between Cardinals, Kyler Murray?]
“I play this game for the love of it, my teammates, everyone who has helped me get to this position that believed in my [and] to win championships,” Murray wrote. “All of this nonsense is now what I’m about, never has been, never will be. Anyone who has ever stepped between those lines with me knows how hard I go.
“Love me or hate me but I’m going to continue to grow and get better.”
While the weekend report was clearly aimed at Murray (with Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com describing it as a “bizarre hit job”), it also acknowledged that the frustration wasn’t one-sided. Rather, Mortensen reported that Murray had his own issues with the organization and was embarrassed by how the Cardinals’ season ended. The quarterback also scrubbed all mentions of the organization off his social media.
While Murray is now firing back, it still seems unlikely that this is heading towards a divorce. Mortensen said the organization remains committed to the former first-overall pick, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury plans to do some “self-scouting” in an effort to provide Murray with “better alternatives.” Temporarily, this growing tension could play a role in a potential Murray extension; with three years of service time under his belt, the quarterback is now extension-eligible, and it will be interesting to see if player and team are willing to commence extension talks at this point.