While the Cardinals have yet to win a postseason game since hiring Steve Keim as their general manager and Bruce Arians as the head coach in 2013, the team has played extremely well during its two seasons, winning 21 total games despite playing in one of the league’s most competitive divisions and having its roster decimated by injuries in 2014. Now, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, team president Michael Bidwill is making it an offseason priority to extend the contracts of both Keim and Arians, ensuring they’re locked up and properly compensated for their strong work.
“Yes, it’s on my radar,” Bidwill said. “I intend to get that done this offseason. We’ve got a bright future, and I’m excited about a third offseason with Steve and Bruce.” Asked about when he intends to open negotiations, Bidwill would only go so far as to say it will happen “sometime after the Super Bowl,” writes Somers.
There’s no real rush to finalize anything with either Keim or Arians right away, since both men remain under contract for multiple seasons. Keim’s deal has two years left on it, while Arians is under club control for three more years, with the Cards holding a team option for the 2017 season. Still, Somers notes that extending those contracts would “make a powerful statement” about the organization’s direction and future.
If and when the Cardinals work out new agreements with their GM and head coach, the deals figure to be more lucrative than the duo’s current contracts. Arians, who was named the PFWA’s Coach of the Year this week, is believed to earning between $3-4MM a year — a new deal would likely bump him up into the salary range of coaches like Rex Ryan and Jason Garrett, who signed contracts this week reportedly worth $5.5-6MM annually.