The Arizona Cardinals‘ head coaching search has dominated the airwaves this week in Phoenix. While general manager Monti Ossenfort vets the potential candidates to replace Jonathan Gannon, it hasn’t stopped former players from chiming in.
The most recent is Cardinals‘ legendary quarterback Kurt Warner. Warner appeared as a guest on Bickley & Marotta on Arizona Sports 98.7 to give his take on the coaching search and quarterback situation.
Kurt Warner on Cardinals’ Pattern of Hiring First-Time Head Coaches
Warner noted that the Cardinals have consistently hired first-time head coaches. The last head coach they hired with previous experience was the late Dennis Green ahead of the 2004 season. Ken Whisenhunt (2007-12), Bruce Arians (2013-17), Steve Wilks (2018), Kliff Kingsbury (2019-22), and Jonathan Gannon (2023-25) were all first-time head coaches when hired by Arizona.
“You get a first-time head coach, I think you have to be patient,” said Warner. “You have to realize those guys aren’t finished products; it’s like taking a guy in the draft. First year, you can’t expect certain things; you’ve got to be able to be patient with them. If you’re not going to have the patience to see it through and get to that point, then I think you go and find somebody that’s been there and done that before.”
Between those five head coaches, only two of them have lasted five seasons. It’s also worth noting that the two defensive-minded coaches last just one and three seasons with the team.
Warner also laments the difficulty of having patience with a first-time coach, because “everybody is win now”. He also pointed out that if the goal is to win now, then they need to pursue more experience at the position.
The Cardinals are linked to at least eight different coaches in this cycle. In addition to the first five candidates reported on Tuesday, the team has requested to interview former Bears head coach Matt Nagy, former Buccaneers and Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, and Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Four of the eight top candidates have been hired before as a head coach.
Kurt Warner Opines on Quarterback Situation
Another major question facing the Cardinals is the fate of quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray is under the cap for $53.6 million and could be a trade candidate this offseason. With a strong likelihood that the Cardinals will trade their starting quarterback, Warner was asked what he wants the next guy to be.
“We’ve seen guys that are more in the athletic mold that have had great success. We continue to see guys who process information, see it, and get the ball out of their hands that have great success in this NFL.”
In that athletic mold, we’ve seen Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson go on to have tremendous success in today’s game.
“Regardless of how athletic or unathletic you are, the game is still won, and big-time games are won, in the pocket. Even the greatest athletes we see at the position, outside of maybe one or two, they’re not great enough to live in the world of ‘I can be a better athlete than everybody else on the defense, and I can create and be athletic most of the time’ and think that’s going to win for me. You love to have those guys that can give you 4-5 of those plays a game, whatever that looks like, but primarily you need a guy who can see it, throw it, make the plays. Let the offense work for them, make the game easier for them and the team.”
Warner referenced the two frontrunners for the MVP, the Patriots’ Drake Maye and the Rams‘ Matthew Stafford, as examples. Both quarterbacks are excellent at reading defenses to find an open receiver, although Maye can provide those 4-5 plays a game where he can create with his athleticism.
Should the Cardinals Move on From Kyler Murray?
It’s not a given yet that the Cardinals will move on from their starting quarterback. The chances are still extremely high given his cap number and ease to replace him with the space they’d make by trading him. Trading him saves $35.8 million on the cap.
Murray is one of the best quarterbacks at using his athleticism to create offense. However, he can be over-reliant on that skill at times. In an offense that can weaponize that athleticism and can simplify his reads, he can be a capable starter. That may lead to teams who still see him as a viable starter inquiring on his availability.
Should the Cardinals move on, they need to find a replacement via trade or free agency. It would be foolish for them to plan on a rookie being the starter on Day 1. They should look into signing Malik Willis from the Packers as one possibility.
Alabama’s Ty Simpson declared for the NFL Draft, which gives Arizona another option to consider with the No. 3 pick. Simpson is considered the third-best quarterback in the 2026 draft class.
Most mock drafts have both Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore going to the Raiders and Jets with the top two picks. That leaves them with Simpson as the highest-ranked quarterback left, and realistically, only one opportunity to draft him.
Cardinals Hall of Fame Quarterback Opines on Head Coach Search