It's 2026 everyone. The Cardinals are looking for a new coach. I'm still doing a mailbag. This would be one of them. Don't forget to send a question for a future mailbag with at least a first name and last initial.
From Brayden K:
"Here we are again, changing coaches. I want it to work Darren. I don't want to keep changing every couple of years. Why can't we have something that works? It's SO frustrating. (I know I'm going to be following every move this team makes all offseason. I can't help myself)."
The next coach the Cardinals hire will be the ninth I have covered. I've definitely been through this before. But this is also the time of hope, of something new. Going through a season like the Cardinals just had is unacceptable -- everyone knows that; owner Michael Bidwill said the change was about wins and losses, because there weren't nearly enough of the former. But you work to try and find the next coach, and you count on the next guy being your new Bruce Arians.
From Charlie Camden:
"Here is my fear in firing JG. We are in a division with three Super Bowl contenders. Even if we hire the next BA, can that guy even succeed due to the level of our competition? And when he goes 7-10 for three years, do we fire him too, restarting the cycle? I would've preferred to keep JG and replace the coordinators, just so there was some consistency. I hate the fact that as of now we are officially on Day 1 of another three-year rebuild. I'm tired, boss."
I get it. I get both what you and Brayden are saying. But if a franchise is throwing up its arms and saying "the rest of the division is too good right now, we can't compete?" You got serious, serious issues. Can't approach it that way. Michael Bidwill made clear Monday he is not looking at a three-year rebuild. The GM said the roster is in a good place. This coach's timeline is going to be much different.
From Richard Kemmler:
"I know it's kind of natural to do, but do you think that people get too caught up in which side of the ball a head coach specializes in? I know most Cardinals fans want an offensive guy after Gannon. Wouldn't it make more sense that you would want a guy with a good plan to get the team moving in the right direction over just this guy coaches offense. John Harbaugh was a special teams coordinator and he's been one of the better coaches the last decade."
Monti Ossenfort insisted the Cardinals aren't seeking one or the other. But I get it to a certain extent; if you are trying to poach a great playcaller who is already a coordinator, there's only one way to do it (see Johnson, Ben.) Of course you need to get the best coach period. Not always easy. Another concern that pops up -- you get a defensive head coach and then acquire a great playcaller, you worry that he'll be stolen away as, yes, someone else's head coach.
From Kurt Figueroa:
"Hi Darren. Let's talk about the downfall of the season being a running team unable to run the ball. I agree, however I think being a run-oriented team isn't supported by our roster construction. We spent the fourth overall pick on a 'generational' wide receiver (TBD), we have the best receiving tight end in the NFL, and it turns out we have a borderline No. 1 WR in Michael Wilson. In short, we have the personnel of an air-raid team. Run-first/pass-first, either way we need to build up the O-line. That's a given. However one of the major changes going into next season that I hope we see is an adjustment of scheme to fit the personnel (not the other way around)."
Whoa there. Two good wideouts -- and one of those was (wrongfully) questioned a lot early in the season -- and a tight end do not an Air Raid offense make. Nobody says, for instance, the Eagles should be Air Raid and they have a similar trio. Do I think the Cardinals need to do a better job of using personnel (like Wilson and Harrison together?) Yes. But one thing that happens with a new coach is roster change, more than a normal offseason. So let's see who shows up and what kind of team he wants.
From Andrew Miller:
"Congratulations on gracefully enduring a difficult season, Darren. My questions have to do with the blindside block by lineman Jon Gaines in the final game. There is no doubt the defender was caught unawares. But 1) at what point is it the responsibility of a player to have his head on a swivel; 2) Gaines did not completely unload on him, rather sliding in front of the defender and should this not be considered; 3) the defender was in a position to blindside sack Jacoby Brissett, so does this not also get considered; 4) is the play not reviewable? I saw this from a sports bar and did not hear the explanation, but this one call truly changed the flow of the game."
So, yeah. I didn't love the call watching replay, but Gaines did give him a shoulder rather than just stand there, and that's what drew the flag. The rule from the rule book is this:
It is a foul if a player initiates a block when his path is toward or parallel to his own end line and makes forcible contact to his opponent with his helmet, forearm, or shoulder, unless the contact occurs in close-line play prior to the ball leaving that area. The ball is not considered to have left that area if the player who takes the snap, either from shotgun position or from under center, retreats in the pocket immediately or with slight delay, and hands the ball to another player, or runs with the ball himself during a designed play. Any forcible contact in close-line play is still subject to the restrictions for crackback and peel back blocks.
To answer your specific questions:
- The rule is in place so players don't have to have their head on a swivel;
- "Unload" isn't a factor. Can't do it, period;
- A blindside sack is not illegal;
- The play is not reviewable.
From Ted Beck:
"OK, all these injuries made me think of this. Obviously, a team still has to pay the players who get hurt, and they are obviously playing the players they activate from the practice roster or sign. I would guess it's possible for a team close to the salary cap to go over it, due to injuries. How do injuries factor into the salary cap numbers? Surely teams aren't penalized for something they can't control. Thank you."
Once the regular season begins, the cap is the cap. Every player's cap number must be accounted for, whether it is the active roster, the practice squad, IR, PUP, NFI or any other acronym you can dream up. Gotta juggle it best you can. Lots of serious injuries hurt you in the moment.
So yes, I guess you can say they are "penalized." And don't call me Shirley.
From Sidney Sexson:
"In looking at the list of injuries and games missed in your answer last week to Jeff Wallace's question it was mind boggling! There has to be changes but I agree with other contributors that we should have given JG another year. And your list didn't even have the games Marvin Harrison missed."
I understand the JG sentiment, but that decision went deeper than injuries. And a great point on missing Harrison on the injury list. That's what I get for throwing it together.
From Bob Kitsos:
"Thanks for your great work on the mailbag this past season. It's always a well-informed/interesting read. Although quickly picked up by the Packers, did you hear of any interest from the Cardinals about signing Trevon Diggs after being cut by the Cowboys?"
No, heard nothing like that, but claiming Diggs made no sense. You would've had to take his hefty contract. No guaranteed money, but he would've likely forced you to cut him rather than restructure, and then he's a free agent. The Packers getting him was about the postseason. I am guessing he will end up as a free agent this spring, unless he really wants to stay Micah Parsons' teammate again.
From Alex Pena:
"As a Arizona Cardinals fan what can I expect next year in 2026? Are we gonna repeat the 2025 season? Why should I spend my money to watch the Arizona Cardinals play?"
I do not like telling people how they should spent their money. That's a personal choice. And I can't predict what the 2026 season will look like, especially since we are two days into the offseason. But I do think the organization desperately wants to win, wants to put the 3-win season in the rear view, and the plan is to turn things around quickly.
From Jay Schubert:
"Sorry, no question here. I hope comments are also welcome. I remember 55 years ago playing football for a new high school against the state champion. We practiced our heads off and were as prepared as a team could be to upset this high school juggernaut. We got slaughtered in every phase of the game. As I watched the Cardinals season this year it reminded me of how I felt, convinced every week we would win, only to find ourselves blown out of the game before the beginning of the fourth quarter. It's hard for high schoolers, let alone for professionals, to keep their heads up even if they are paid well to do so.
Perhaps it is just me, but I sense the words from players after these losses are more than just hopeless fantasies about future possibilities. There seems to be a sincere culture undertone of commitment to each other and coaches that signal to me that nobody has surrendered, nobody has given up even though many fans would not fault them for doing so. The season is over for the Cardinals, but I hope the culture that has been created during this difficult period is not lost through the hasty firing of JG."
Michael Bidwill and Monti Ossenfort seem to believe the culture can carry over. But a new coach is a new coach, and things change with a new coach. Until the new guy is in place, we won't know what it's all going to look like. That said, I agree the players seemed to bond well considering the circumstances. But the roster is going to change too. It will be a fascinating offseason.
