Wild card weekend is already living up to its name, but not in the expected manner.
Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury reportedly bought a one-way ticket to Thailand after being fired, subsequently declining approaches from other NFL teams interested in his services, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager reported Saturday.
The Cardinals parted ways with Kingsbury on Jan. 9 after the team, which had high expectations after making the playoffs last year, finished last in the NFC West with a 4-13 record.
Kingsbury, 43, went 28-37-1 in four years as Arizona’s head coach, his first NFL job after a six-year tenure with Texas Tech, and made a single playoff appearance last season that led to him receiving a five-year contract extension through 2027. Schrager added that Kingsbury would still be getting paid by Arizona.
It’s unclear if and when Kingsbury will return to the coaching atmosphere, but in the meantime, the Cardinals are not looking too far for a potential head coach replacement. San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is one of the names Arizona reportedly requested to interview, joining the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos in that race.
Like Kingsbury, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay was another potential candidate in the division considering stepping away from football, but he confirmed on Friday he’d be sticking around.