Kliff Kingsbury has been fired as the Arizona Cardinals head coach
The Arizona Cardinals have fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury after four seasons, the team confirmed Monday.
Arizona failed to make the playoffs this season after going 4-13 after seven straight losses to wrap up the 2022 season.
NFL Networks Ian Rapoport added that Cardinals general manager Steve Keim is stepping down from his role to focus on his health.
Kingsbury’s sacking is the head coach’s second sacking after Sunday’s regular-season finale, after Lovie Smith was relieved of his duties with the Houston Texans after just a year at the helm.
Kingsbury’s departure comes just a year after he signed a contract extension for the 2027 season.
His new deal had come as a reward for the franchise’s five-year playoff absence after leading the team to 7-0 and 10-2 records at various stages during the campaign.
The Cardinals had lost four of their last five regular-season games before eventually suffering an all-out loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild card round.
Kingsbury posted a 28-37-1 record in his four years at the post after six seasons with the Texas Tech collegiate program.
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Highlights from the Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 of the NFL
His offense this season ranked 18th in passing, 22nd in rushing, 21st in scoring, and 22nd in total offense while he ranked 30th in DVOA and 30th in EPA/Play finished 28th.
In a tumultuous season, star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was suspended for six games before quarterback Kyler Murray suffered a season-ending knee injury later in December. At this point the season was long lost.
What should have been a thriving relationship between Kingsbury and Murray was instead marred by off-season tensions, namely a spotlight drawing clause inserted into the latter’s new contract mandating independent study time.