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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Brian Flores Informed Cardinals He Was Withdrawing From HC Search

February 7th, 2023 at 3:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Flores is set for a Twin Cities relocation, taking over as the next Vikings defensive coordinator. The former Dolphins head coach’s quick decision here was somewhat surprising, considering he had a second interview for the Cardinals’ HC job lined up.

It is not believed Flores had been eliminated from the Cardinals’ search just yet. He instead informed the Cards he was not going to meet with them a second time and would accept the Vikings’ DC offer, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Flores’ second Arizona interview had been scheduled for Wednesday, but the Cards are now onto other options. Arizona and Indianapolis remain on the hunt for head coaches, though the Colts’ search is more open-ended than the Cardinals’.

[RELATED: Kyler Murray Return May Be Delayed Until Midseason?]

Bigger-picture plans factored into Flores’ withdrawal. Next year’s lot of potential job openings represented part of the reason, per KPRC’s Aaron Wilson (via Twitter), Flores backed out of the Cards’ search. Higher-profile jobs might be available in 2024. The Chargers and Cowboys come to mind. While this was believed to be a factor for Sean Payton, next year’s coaching carousel also appears to be impacting other candidates’ decisions.

The team’s search may come down to two of its late additions. Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka is meeting with the Cardinals today, while Bengals DC Lou Anarumo‘s meeting is scheduled for Friday. Both are already on their second interviews, despite each having been added to the pool Jan. 30. Vance Joseph, Bengals OC Brian Callahan and Lions DC Aaron Glenn were not among the finalists for the job, though Flores taking a coordinator gig despite being included as a finalist came after other options passed.

Dan Quinn also backed out of multiple searches to stay with the Cowboys, and after interviewing with the Cardinals, Frank Reich accepted the Panthers’ HC offer. Then again, it is unknown how serious the Cardinals were on Reich, who was not a candidate in Denver or Houston. Payton was the biggest fish this offseason, but not much smoke emerged connecting the former Super Bowl-winning HC to Arizona’s vacancy. The Cards added Anarumo and Kafka to their mix days after Payton’s interview and just before he accepted the Broncos’ HC offer.

Despite his discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and a few teams, Flores interviewed for four HC jobs last year following his surprise Dolphins ouster. The longtime Patriots assistant spent this season as the Steelers’ linebackers coach. He was on the Cards’ radar both before and after the team hired ex-Pats executive Monti Ossenfort as GM. A Flores-Ossenfort connection loomed for weeks; no other teams interviewed him for their HC jobs this year. He was among a host of Payton backup plans. Anarumo and Kafka were not even part of the search at that stage.

Brian Flores Joins Finalists For Cardinals HC Job

February 5th, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Ely Allen

9:45pm: In the newest update, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that “the Cardinals have informed several head coaching candidates that they are out of the running.” The three candidates who have been announced to be involved in the second round of interviews (Flores, Anarumo, and Kafka) are reportedly the team’s finalists for the position.

The three candidates who have not been included in the second round of interviews yet (Joseph, Glenn, and Callahan) are among those who have been informed that they are no longer being considered.

5:49pm: The Cardinals made it known that they had at least two candidates who would be advancing to a second round of interviews for their vacant head coaching position yesterday. Now Steelers defensive assistant and linebackers coach Brian Flores will join Lou Anarumo and Mike Kafka as a finalist in Arizona, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

This is the first name we’ve seen that lines up with an earlier report from last weekend. That report implied that, if the Cardinals were unable to bring in Sean Payton, whose rights were traded to the Broncos this past week, the team would be moving forward with Flores, Aaron Glenn, and Ejiro Evero for a second round of interviews. After yesterday’s announcement for Anarumo and Kafka, Flores’s inclusion is the first name that doesn’t come as a surprise.

Arizona is moving relatively slowly compared to the other franchises who have been working to hire a new head coach this offseason and, as a result, have missed out on a few promising candidates. Of the 10 candidates interviewed by the Cardinals, four are no longer available. Besides Payton, Dan Quinn made the decision to remain in Dallas as defensive coordinator, Evero has been hired as the defensive coordinator in Carolina, Frank Reich has been hired as the Panthers’ head coach, and DeMeco Ryans, who actually cancelled his interview, has taken the head coaching position in Houston.

That leaves Arizona with its three finalists (Flores, Anarumo, and Kafka), the rumored finalist who has not been announced as a candidate for a second interview (Glenn), Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, who interviewed this week, and their own defensive coordinator for the last four seasons, Vance Joseph. Anarumo is set to meet virtually with general manager Monti Ossenfort on Friday, while Kafka’s virtual interview is expected to take place on Tuesday.

Flores is expected to interview for the Cardinals’ job on Wednesday. The day before, Flores is expected to interview for the Broncos defensive coordinator position under Payton. He is also a top candidate for the Vikings defensive coordinator job.

With three finalists named for the position so far, here is the updated breakdown of the Cardinals’ interview process:

NFC West Rumors: 49ers QBs, Bullen, Benton, Hopkins

February 5th, 2023 at 9:40pm CST by Ely Allen

If the 49ers are familiar with one thing, it’s injured quarterbacks. When season starter Trey Lance went down with a season-ending ankle injury only two games into the season, San Francisco reverted back to Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo would start the next 10 games before suffering a foot injury that would require season-ending surgery. This led the team to start rookie Brock Purdy, the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Purdy responded to being forced into the spotlight with five straight wins in his starts to end the season. He would then help the 49ers win their first two playoff games before ultimately falling to the Eagles in the NFC Championship after suffering an elbow injury that is expected to take six months to recover.

With the emergence of Purdy this season, San Francisco seems renewed in their desires to move Garoppolo, something they attempted to no avail last offseason. Even with Garoppolo out of the picture, what happens when both Lance and Purdy return to full health? That question was posed to Matt Barrows of The Athletic this week in a Q&A with 49ers fans.

Barrows seems to believe that there will be no controversy when both players are healthy. Purdy presumably won’t be healthy until maybe the start of training camp. Until then, Lance will perform as the team’s lead quarterback in the spring. Once Purdy is back in the picture, though, Barrows asserts that he will be the 49ers’ first-team quarterback. Purdy showed an ability to operate within the 49ers offense and play winning football. Lance, on the other hand, hasn’t been able to prove that he can stay on the football field, unfortunately. Dating back to his final collegiate season at North Dakota State, in the past three years, out of a possible 44 games, Lance has appeared in nine.

Throughout the spring, Lance will be under center earning some much needed snaps with the 49ers offense. Once Purdy is healthy, Barrows is under the impression that he will man the starting quarterback position over Lance.

Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC West, starting with a couple of coaching changes:

  • After 11 years coaching in the NFL and four years in Arizona, former Cardinals outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen will be leaving the league to become the outside linebackers coach/pass rush coordinator at the University of Illinois, according to the school’s official Twitter account. Bullen has experience in the Big Ten as a University of Iowa alumnus and will be returning to the state in which he grew up.
  • The Rams are looking to replace offensive line coach Kevin Carberry, whom they dismissed alongside several other coaching assistants following the 2022 season. One candidate they will be considering is former Jets offensive line coach John Benton, as reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Benton has seen a rough 12 months, being arrested and charged with DUI in March 2022 and being dismissed by head coach Robert Saleh after his second year with the team. Benton still provides plenty of experience having served in the position for five franchises, including the Rams back when they resided in St. Louis. If he were hired to coach in Los Angeles, he would be reunited with offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who joined Sean McVay‘s staff a little over a week ago.
  • Cardinals star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been rumored to be available in the trade market this offseason. For what it’s worth, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported this weekend that Hopkins was in the team facility on Friday and met with the team’s new general manager Monti Ossenfort.

Lou Anarumo, Mike Kafka Set For Second Cardinals HC Interviews

February 4th, 2023 at 6:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

The first known finalists for Arizona’s head coaching vacancy have emerged. The Cardinals are set to meet for a second time with Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka (Twitter links via Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).

Anarumo, 56, has been in Cincinnati since 2019, a spot which gave him his second career DC opportunity. His role in helping the Bengals emerge as AFC heavyweights over the past two seasons has increasingly been brought to the attention of the NFL community, as the 2023 coaching cycle continues. Anarumo’s unit surrendered the sixth-fewest points in the regular season in 2022, earning him and Bengals OC Brian Callahan interviews with the Cardinals this past week.

Most of the candidates named in Arizona’s search to date have a background on the defensive side of the ball. The Cardinals fielded the league’s second-worst scoring defense in 2022, and its roster turnover this offseason will include future Hall of Fame edge rusher J.J. Watt not returning. Immediately following the announcement of Kliff Kingsbury‘s firing, DC Vance Joseph was mentioned as a serious candidate to replace him. Several external candidates have been interviewed since, however, including Anarumo. The latter will meet virtually with new general manager Monti Ossenfort on Friday, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (Twitter link).

No timetable is yet known for Kafka’s interview, though it too will take place via Zoom. The 35-year-old took on an OC position for the first time in 2022, when he joined Brian Daboll‘s first Giants staff. His work as a QBs coach in Kansas City put him on the coordinator radar, though it still came as a surprise when he was given play-calling duties. That move paid dividends for Big Blue, as the Giants shattered expectations en route to a run to the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Kafka has interviewed with four of the five teams which entered this offseason in need of a new coach, underscoring his perceived value around the league. He met with the Texans for a second time last month, though Houston has since made the expected move of hiring DeMeco Ryans as their new bench boss. With a second interview now on tap with Arizona, though, the possibility remains that he could land a HC job to cap off his noteworthy rise.

With the second round of their HC search set to begin soon, here is the updated breakdown of the Cardinals’ interview process:

Coaching Notes: Fangio, Kocurek, Broncos, Dolphins, Falcons, Gray, Lions, Bills, Bears

February 2nd, 2023 at 3:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers showed interest in Vic Fangio, joining almost every other DC-seeking team. But Fangio’s former team did not have the chance to bring him back in for an interview; Fangio finally committed to the Dolphins on Thursday morning. The 49ers were interested in a Fangio reunion, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes, and 9News’ Mike Klis adds Fangio was also intrigued by coming back to San Francisco. The 49ers’ usage of a 4-3 scheme throughout Kyle Shanahan‘s tenure would not have been a major issue regarding a reunion with the 3-4 guru, Branch adds. That would make sense, as the 4-3/3-4 divide is not nearly as big an issue — thanks to sub-packages’ rise — as it was several years ago.

San Francisco remains on the hunt for a DeMeco Ryans replacement, placing Steve Wilks and Chris Harris (not the cornerback) on its interview list. The 49ers also are considering promoting defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets. The well-regarded staffer has been Nick Bosa‘s position coach throughout the All-Pro’s career and has fostered development from others as well. Ryans, meanwhile, is interested in bringing Kocurek to Houston as his DC.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • Some recently dismissed assistants may be on the Broncos‘ radar. Ex-Sean Payton staffers Joe Lombardi, Kris Richard and Dan Roushar are in the mix for Broncos gigs under their new coach, Klis notes. Lombardi worked on Payton’s Saints staff for 11 years, the final five as QBs coach, but lost his Chargers OC gig recently. The Saints parted ways with both Richard and Roushar recently. The ex-Seahawks DC was in New Orleans for just one season (2021) under Payton, while Roushar had been on the Saints’ staff for the past 10 years. Richard may be in the running for Denver’s DC post, though Klis adds the Ejiro Evero-Payton talks began Wednesday night. The parties continued discussions today. Evero, who is under contract, staying on staff and leaving for a head coaching job in 2024 would net the Broncos two third-round picks.
  • The Falcons brought in former DC Jerry Gray as an assistant head coach. Gray, 60, spent the past two years as the Packers’ secondary coach but worked with Arthur Smith in Tennessee. Smith and Gray were both Titans staffers in the early 2010s, when the latter was Tennessee’s DC. The Falcons hired Ryan Nielsen as their defensive boss last week, but Gray will be a key assistant. Green Bay let Gray’s contract expire, with ESPN’s Rob Demovsky noting (via Twitter) Gray and DC Joe Barry were not on the same page.
  • Once again, the Dolphins will look for a new offensive line coach. Miami fired Matt Applebaum after one season, Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes (Twitter link). Mike McDaniel‘s next hire will be the Dolphins’ eighth O-line coach in nine seasons. Applebaum, 39, joined McDaniel’s staff in 2022 after spending his previous coaching years in the college ranks.
  • The Lions added two fairly recent NFLers to their staff. They brought in Dre’ Bly and Steve Heiden to coach cornerbacks and tight ends, respectively. Bly, who played for the Lions from 2003-06 and made two Pro Bowls with the team, has not coached in the NFL previously. He spent the past four seasons coaching cornerbacks at North Carolina, his alma mater. Heiden will come over from the Cardinals, who employed the ex-NFL tight end as their tight ends coach throughout Kliff Kingsbury‘s tenure. The ex-Cardinal had been on Arizona’s staff for 10 years.
  • Acting quickly after making a change late last week, the Bills filled their safety coach role by hiring Joe Danna. Working under Lovie Smith with the Texans this season, Danna was in Jacksonville under Doug Marrone and Urban Meyer for the previous five yeras.
  • After the Falcons hired Nielsen, they fired Jon Hoke. But the veteran position coach will land in Chicago. The Bears hired Hoke as their cornerbacks coach and passing-game coordinator. This is a reunion for Hoke, who coached Bears DBs for six seasons (2009-14) previously. The team also promoted Omar Young from the quality control level to assistant QBs and wide receivers coach. Young is a 14-year coaching veteran who spent time with OC Luke Getsy in Green Bay.

2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

February 2nd, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earlier this week, the NFL revealed its 2023 salary cap. Teams can now budget for their offseasons, knowing a $224.8MM ceiling is in place. This year’s nonexclusive franchise and transition tag numbers also emerged, giving teams more clarity on those fronts as well. With that in mind, here is where every team stands in terms of cap space:

  1. Chicago Bears: $90.91MM
  2. Atlanta Falcons: $56.42MM
  3. New York Giants: $44.28MM
  4. Houston Texans: $37.56MM
  5. Cincinnati Bengals: $35.55MM
  6. New England Patriots: $32.71MM
  7. Seattle Seahawks: $31.04MM
  8. Baltimore Ravens: $26.87MM
  9. Las Vegas Raiders: $19.78MM
  10. Arizona Cardinals: $14.47MM
  11. Kansas City Chiefs: $13.96MM
  12. Detroit Lions: $13.83MM
  13. Indianapolis Colts: $12.59MM
  14. Denver Broncos: $9.07MM
  15. San Francisco 49ers: $8.28MM
  16. Washington Commanders: $8.24MM
  17. Philadelphia Eagles: $4.24MM
  18. Pittsburgh Steelers: $1.03MM
  19. New York Jets: $1.31MM over the cap
  20. Dallas Cowboys: $7.18MM over
  21. Carolina Panthers: $8.94MM over
  22. Los Angeles Rams: $14.19MM over
  23. Cleveland Browns: $14.64MM over
  24. Miami Dolphins: $16.45MM over
  25. Green Bay Packers: $16.48MM over
  26. Buffalo Bills: $17.88MM over
  27. Los Angeles Chargers: $20.38MM over
  28. Jacksonville Jaguars: $22.35MM over
  29. Minnesota Vikings: $23.43MM over
  30. Tennessee Titans: $23.67MM over
  31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $55.03MM over
  32. New Orleans Saints: $60.47MM over

These figures (courtesy of OverTheCap) will change dramatically in the coming weeks, but this is where each team stands ahead of Super Bowl LVII. After that point, cap-casualty cuts can begin taking place. Restructures, extensions and trades will commence as well, with the Saints of recent years doing well to prove there are a few roads to cap compliance.

While New Orleans is in its usual February place, the team actually was further over the 2021 and ’22 caps at this point on the NFL calendar. Using void years to load up its roster during Tom Brady‘s three-year stay, Tampa Bay has seen much of that bill come due. If Brady does not re-sign a procedural deal, which would allow for the Buccaneers to spread out his dead money, the team will be hit with a $35.1MM dead-cap charge this year.

The Browns led the league by a wide margin in cap carryover from 2022, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Cleveland carried over $27.6MM in cap space. The Browns paced the league in cap space throughout the 2022 season, bracing for the Deshaun Watson contract’s spike. As of now, Watson’s cap figure will balloon from $9.4MM to $54.9MM. No NFL player has ever played a season on a cap number higher than $45MM.

The Panthers, Broncos, Bears and Raiders rounded out the top five in carryover dollars, ranging from $10.8MM to $6.7MM. Chicago ate considerable dead money via the Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn trades. The rebuilding team is still paying most of Quinn’s salary, doing so in order to secure a better draft pick from the Eagles. The Bears will have quite the opportunity to bolster their roster in Ryan Poles‘ second year in charge, leading the league by a massive margin and holding the No. 1 overall pick. The Falcons still have $12MM-plus in Deion Jones dead money on their 2023 payroll, but the team is rid of Matt Ryan‘s record-setting dead-cap hit ($40MM).

Baltimore will have a major decision to make in the coming weeks. GM Eric DeCosta said he has not decided if the team will place the exclusive or nonexclusive tag on Lamar Jackson. Even the nonexclusive number — $32.42MM — will dramatically change the Ravens’ budget ahead of free agency. The exclusive tag, which prevents other teams from submitting an offer sheet to Jackson, is expected to come in just north of $45MM.

Aaron Glenn Gets Second HC Interview With Colts; Cardinals Seeking Another Meeting

February 1st, 2023 at 6:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Aaron Glenn is getting a second look in Indy. According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (via Twitter), the Colts will conduct a second interview with the Lions defensive coordinator regarding their head coaching vacancy. The second interview is expected to take place tomorrow.

[RELATED: Colts To Conduct Second HC Interview With Brian Callahan]

Glenn is also considered a finalist for the Cardinals head coaching job, and Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets the NFC West team would like to talk more with him ahead of its decision. While the Cards’ HC search has not received as much attention as the Colts’ expansive process, the they added some new candidates to the mix Monday. Glenn was part of the original process and went through his first interview Jan. 21.

The 50-year-old helped boost his stock following a strong second half of the season in Detroit. During the Lions’ 8-2 finish, the defense yielded 20.2 points per game, the 11th-best mark in the league. Glenn also earned praise for his development of defensive players like Aidan Hutchinson, James Houston, Jeff Okudah, and Kerby Joseph, putting the coach firmly on the HC radar.

Among all the teams with head coaching vacancies, the Colts have cast the widest net, interviewing 13 candidates for the position. We’ve heard recently that the organization had moved on to the second phase of their search. The team conducted a second interview with Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan today after having previously conducted second interviews with interim HC Jeff Saturday, Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, and Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.

Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, Giants defensive coordinator Don Martindale, Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, and Colts special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone have also been mentioned as finalists. Considering all the names that are still in the running, Nate Akins of the Indy Star is a bit skeptical that these are indeed “finalists” and hints that the organization could require another round of interviews after this (Twitter link).

Latest On Broncos’ Coaching Search

January 30th, 2023 at 9:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the offseason enters its fourth week, this Broncos ownership group’s first coaching search looks to have skidded off track. A host of updates have emerged in recent days regarding the new owners’ HC pursuit, but the team’s preferred candidates are mostly out of the picture.

Jim Harbaugh loomed as a frontrunner early but bowed out of the race, while Dan Quinn was well-regarded during his time in the derby. He recommitted to the Cowboys for a second straight offseason. The Texans look to have the inside track for DeMeco Ryans, who had gained steam with the Broncos late last week. For the time being, the Sean Payton-to-Denver talk has faded.

While CEO Greg Penner flew to Ann Arbor to meet with Harbaugh, the meeting caught other Broncos HC candidates off-guard, according to The Athletic’s Mike Sando (subscription required). Harbaugh said the Broncos’ job would be the one he’d want if he returned to the NFL, with this stance emerging not long after the longtime Michigan HC recommitted to his alma mater. But the Broncos are not believed to have made an offer. Harbaugh remains at Michigan, and Denver’s set of second-tier candidates do not appear closer to landing the job.

Despite this rocky search, Troy Renck of Denver7 notes the other batch of candidates the Broncos have met with — Rams DC Raheem Morris, former Lions HC Jim Caldwell and ex-Stanford HC David Shaw — have not gained momentum for the job. With DC Ejiro Evero also not being connected to the post since interviewing nearly three weeks ago, this would leave Payton still atop the team’s wish list. Indeed, the Caldwell-Evero-Morris-Shaw contingent has been informed no second interviews are on tap, 9News’ Mike Klis notes.

Payton made the Broncos his first interview; that occurred more than two weeks ago. Initial reports indicated Payton was behind the new Broncos ownership contingent, but a subsequent offering suggested pause. Payton directly refuted that he feared a power struggle with one of the team’s new owners, and the former Super Bowl-winning HC addressed his status over the weekend. The door remains open for Payton, per Renck, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport suggested the franchise still wants to swing for a “big, big, big” hire.

Payton, 59, is the only candidate who would seem to fit that description, and other teams may be realizing they will not be able to entice him to leave FOX this year. Linked to preparing a big Payton push, the Panthers hired Frank Reich. The Cardinals adding a host of new candidates Monday points to them realizing Payton is likely an unrealistic goal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com offered during a Pat McAfee Show appearance (video link). Payton interviewed with the Cardinals on Thursday. It will take a first-round pick and at least some Day 2 selections to pry Payton’s rights from New Orleans, but the way this search is going, hints of desperation may soon come out of Denver.

If the Broncos cannot lure Payton from FOX, they will either need to circle back to what appear to be their lower-tier candidates or add names to the list. As of Monday night, no new names are on the radar, Klis reaffirms, adding the Broncos will not send the Saints two first-round picks for Payton. That was a rumored Mickey Loomis ask weeks ago. For a team that entered the offseason preparing an “ultra-aggressive” search for an experienced HC to execute a turnaround, this figures to be a pivotal week for its new ownership contingent.

Cardinals Request HC Interviews With Lou Anarumo, Brian Callahan, Mike Kafka

January 30th, 2023 at 2:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

2:45pm: In addition to Anarumo and Callahan, the Cardinals are set to meet with Giants OC Mike Kafka, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). That makes Arizona the fourth team to show interest in him, a testament to how quickly he has risen up the ranks in league circles despite his relative lack of experience. The 35-year-old’s time as a coordinator began this past season, his first with the Giants. His success in leading the team to the divisional round to the playoffs may not be enough to land him a HC gig this year, but it will keep him squarely on the radar for years to come. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets that Kafka’s interview will take place tomorrow.

12:08pm: The Bengals’ success in 2022 led to increasing calls for each of the team’s top assistants to receive head coaching interest. One day after their loss in the AFC title game, both of Zac Taylor‘s most well-respected lieutenants have received requests for interviews.

The Cardinals are seeking an interview with both defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan (Twitter links via Peter Schrager and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). The former began his NFL coaching career in 2012 as a DBs coach with the Dolphins. He held that role throughout his six-year tenure there, operating as interim DC in 2015.

That led him to the Giants for a single season, then his first full-time coordinator gig with the Bengals in 2019. Like Taylor’s rookie campaign as a bench boss, that season saw the team put up underwhelming numbers. However, Cincinnati’s defense showed improvement from one year to the next in terms of both yards and points allowed. In 2022, the Bengals ranked 16th and sixth, respectively, in those categories.

Given their continued improvement under Anarumo, eyebrows were raised in the early part of this year’s head coaching cycle that no interest was shown in him. Teams have, traditionally, slanted towards offensive candidates though a number of highly-regarded defensive assistants have represented exceptions to that general rule. Anarumo could become the latest such example, as the Cardinals look for a significant step forward defensively in 2023 and beyond.

Callahan, likewise, has flown under the radar relative to several other candidates with an offensive background. The 38-year-old was installed as Cincinnati’s OC as part of Taylor’s initial staff in 2019, following time spent as an assistant with the Broncos, Lions and Raiders. His first coordinator role has been marked by a slow start in terms of production, but a sharp turnaround in recent years with the Bengals assembling one of the top offenses in the league.

Callahan has seen his unit deliver top-10 scoring performances for each of the past two seasons; the Bengals also had an elite showing in terms of yardage in 2022, ranking eighth in that department. Callahan has helped guide the development of the team’s young nucleus on offense, a group led by quarterback Joe Burrow, wideouts Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, and running back Joe Mixon. Their shared success earned Callahan a HC interview with the Colts earlier this month.

It was reported yesterday that the Cardinals are narrowing their list of candidates for second interviews in the event Sean Payton is not acquired. That makes the inclusion of Anarumo and Callahan somewhat surprising, given how late in the process the team appears to be. Nevertheless, the pair are free to interview with Arizona – or any other interested team – at any time.

Here is an updated look at the Cardinals’ HC search:

Sean Payton Addresses Coaching Candidacy

January 29th, 2023 at 2:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

Only one team which entered this offseason in need of a new head coach has found their next bench boss, as the Panthers hired Frank Reich to kick off the 2023 cycle. That leaves four others in search of a HC, and speculation persists regarding this year’s top candidate.

Sean Payton has been connected to three of the remaining four vacancies, and was universally seen as the prize most clubs would be competing for in their search for experienced, accomplished offensive coaches. Between the matter of draft compensation being required to be worked out with the Saints, along with the possibility he remains at FOX for one more season, though, it is not guaranteed the former Super Bowl winner will be on the sidelines in 2023.

With not much known about his immediate future, the 59-year-old spoke about it during this morning’s FOX pregame show. When asked by his colleague Peter Schrager, he denied that the door is now closed to the possibility of him coaching one of the teams currently looking to hire him (Twitter link). As he indicated, things could start to take shape in the coming days.

“It’s been a busy week, a great week,” Payton said, via Pro Football Talks’ Mike Florio. “We’ve had a chance to visit with a lot of great owners, a lot of outstanding organizations… I think with the way the coaching hiring process has changed this year, we’re seeing it play out a little longer for these clubs.”

Payton has already met with the Texans and Cardinals; he was expected to interview for a second time with the Broncos this past week, but that sit-down has been put on hold and there are serious doubts regarding his chances of winding up in the Mile High City. He also drew interest from the Panthers before they ultimately went with Reich to lead their staff. With second interviews set to continue after today’s conference title games, though, searches should begin to wind down soon.

“I think in the next week we’re going to know a lot more,” Payton added. “There’s a handful of things that still are taking place for these coaches, and myself.”

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