Steve Wilks hasn’t gotten a ton of time to make his mark with the Cardinals, but it’s clear he’s the wrong guy for the job.
Some NFL observers will call it unfair if Steve Wilks gets fired after just one season with the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately, going 3-12 in your first 15 games will always put you on the hot seat.
Reports emanating from Arizona claim it’s “unlikely” that Wilks will be given the opportunity to guide the team for a second season. If the job does come open, expect it to draw a lot of interest. The presence of Josh Rosen as a potential quarterback of the future will attract a lot of talented offensive minds. He hasn’t been great in his rookie season, but it’s widely believed that he needs a more competent offensive mind to help him reach his full potential.
It’s imperative the franchise get Rosen the right coach if they want to maximize the return on their first round investment. Look for these five names to be linked heavily with the Cardinals vacancy if it does materialize.
5. Jim Caldwell
Caldwell isn’t a guy who’s going to excite Arizona fans, but it’s hard to argue with a coach who has a Super Bowl title on his resume. His success working with Peyton Manning is going to get Caldwell a lot of looks this offseason.
The Cardinals could certainly do worse than acquiring a steady hand like Caldwell to help push their team into the right direction. He’s not going to revolutionize things in the desert, but he’ll help Rosen and company grow up a little bit. Caldwell shouldn’t be hired as the guy who’s going to lead the Cardinals to the glory, but he’s a solid choice to lead them back to respectability in relatively short order.
Caldwell should be in a position to get a head coaching job this offseason, and it’s very possible Arizona will be the team that gives him that chance.