Kliff Kingsbury’s place as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals could be in jeopardy if things do not get sorted out, Ian Rapoport has hinted. 

When the Arizona Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury out of Texas Tech University in 2019, the belief was that he would be the man to take them forward, combing his high-powered offensive mind with the electric young talent that was Kyler Murray.

And when we saw high-powered, we aren’t using that word lightly, as under his wing the Red Raiders averaged at least 30 points per game, 470 total yards per game and 300 passing yards per game in all six seasons. They also averaged Raiders averaged over 500 yards of offense in four seasons and over 450 passing yards twice (stats from USA Today).

And in the early days of the Kliff-Kyler duo, you could certainly see elements of that offense in the quarterback’s game, as he put up 11,480 passing yards, 70 passing touchdowns to go along with 1,786 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. 

This season though things haven’t quite been as electric, with Murray ranking 17th in yards per game and joint 24th in quarterback rating, with the Cardinals currently sitting at 4-8 on the season and with their chances of making the playoffs pretty much over.

Kliff Kingsbury might be made to kick the coaching bucket

Kingsbury did sign a new deal this past offseason that should see him stay as part of the team until 2027, but as Ian Rapoport notes, that doesn’t necessarily mean that his spot on the team for next year is secure. 

Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show, Rapaport spoke about the recent problems the Cardinals and Murray have been facing, before discussing what the situation was with the coach, noting that it wouldn’t be against the norm for the Cardinals to get rid of Kingsbury so soon after signing a long-term deal.

Video: Ian Rapoport discusses Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury:

It would seem harsh to get rid of him after one bad year, especially considering that star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was suspended for the first six games of the season, but the Cardinals have proven that they aren’t scared to pull the plug on projects quickly, so he might not have that much time to save his job before he’s out of one. 

Because whilst Murray and Kingsbury both got big contracts, it’s easier to change a coach than it is a player, so we know who is likely going to get more leeway if there has to be a choice between the two.