In a turbulent coaching carousel for the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals may have their next coaching hire right in front of them.
Earlier today, the Buffalo Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott after a crushing Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos.
This move came as a major surprise. Despite never making the Super Bowl with superstar quarterback Josh Allen, McDermott made the Bills a consistent contender from 2019 onwards.
In those seven seasons, McDermott won 10 or more games every year. He won the AFC East five times during that span and made the playoffs from 2019-25.
However, it wasn’t enough, apparently, to keep McDermott around. With the hiring of John Harbaugh, McDermott should be the most coveted head coaching candidate available.
Despite the Cardinals not being exactly a hot destination, an NFL analyst sees potential in hiring McDermott.
What Could Lead to McDermott Going to the Arizona Cardinals?
Conor Orr, senior writer for Sports Illustrated, believes that the Cardinals could still be in the running for McDermott.
Orr wrote that the timing of Buffalo’s decision could cause chaos for other teams still looking to hire a head coach in this current cycle. Could this chaos benefit the Cardinals?
“Similarly, I think this could have positive ramifications for both the Raiders and, especially, the Cardinals,” Orr wrote. “Arizona seemed to be boxed out of the premium candidate market, but McDermott could be a stabilizing force in Arizona, a team that very much resembles the down-and-out Bills when McDermott took over that job in 2017.”
Buffalo hired McDermott a season before drafting Allen. In Arizona, the quarterback situation is even more of an issue. With veteran Kyler Murray seemingly on his way out of the desert, and a weak draft at quarterback, any potential coach for Arizona may not have their quarterback of the future on the 2026 roster.
After going 3-14 in 2025, fielding one of the worst defenses in football, does McDermott even have the pieces to succeed in Arizona?
Who Else is in the Running for Arizona’s Coaching Vacancy?
The Cardinals initially requested 13 names for their vacancy before McDermott became available, per Sports Illustrated’s Donnie Druin: Thomas Brown, Matt Burke, Jeff Hafley, Vance Joseph, Klint Kubiak, Mike LaFleur, Jesse Minter, Raheem Morris, Matt Nagy, Robert Saleh, Chris Shula, Arthur Smith and Anthony Weaver.
Many of these candidates are still in the playoffs, and therefore are not available yet to interview with teams. The Cardinals will have to wait for the assistants of the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots.
According to BetOnline and Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard, Joseph is the odds-on favorite to be the next Arizona head coach. While Joseph has familiarity with the roster, being the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator from 2019-22, McDermott is the more seasoned option for Arizona.
After former head coach Jonathan Gannon failed as a defensive head coach, McDermott would have a lot of work to do with this Arizona team. While McDermott would likely attract a quality offensive coordinator with great experience, would it be enough to bring the Cardinals out of the gutter of the NFC West?
McDermott definitely has the best resume out of any of these candidates. The question isn’t whether the Cardinals want him, but whether he wants to coach the Cardinals.
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