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Could Patriots target ex-Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury for offensive coordinator?
"Kingsbury's offense might be the most difficult to prepare for in the entire NFL."
If Bill Belichick and the Patriots plan on looking outside of the organization for a new play-caller and offensive coordinator, they should have no shortage of options.
For months now, former Patriots OC Bill O’Brien has been suggested as an appealing candidate — given both his familiarity with the team and his proven track record when handed the keys to an offense.
But if Belichick does opt to either move on from Matt Patricia or slot him into a different role in 2023, a return from O’Brien is not a given. Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times tossed out O’Brien as a viable candidate to replace Byron Leftwich as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator, especially if O’Brien’s hiring convinces Tom Brady to return for another season.
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If O’Brien heads elsewhere, another former NFL head coach with ties to the Patriots could land in New England as Kliff Kingsbury is now a free agent after getting fired by the Arizona Cardinals on Monday afternoon.
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Kingsbury, a former QB who was chosen by Belichick and the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, was let go by Arizona after a disappointing campaign that saw the Cardinals post a record of 4-13.
Over his four seasons with the Cardinals, Kingsbury’s teams had a record of 28-37-1 — making the playoffs just once (11-6 record in 2021) while routinely underachieving with a core featuring the likes of Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins.
Just 10 months ago, Kingsbury signed a long-term contract with Arizona that locked him into his position through the 2027 season.
Still, even with a disappointing season, the 43-year-old Kingsbury has cultivated the reputation as a gifted play-caller who turned Texas Tech into a high-scoring machine during his tenure as head coach with the Red Raiders.
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Even before Kingsbury was officially given the boot by the Cardinals on Monday, The MMQB’s Albert Breer listed him as a potential option for the Patriots and their offensive coordinator position during a spot with NBC Sports Boston on Sunday.
“If you want to go completely off the board, here’s one for you. The Patriots have done their research on Kliff Kingsbury,” Breer said. “I don’t know if Kliff Kingsbury is even going to be available, I don’t know if Kliff Kingsbury’s even going to want to coach if he’s fired in Arizona, but I do think he’s somebody the Patriots would look at as far as if you’re looking at somebody who might be able to move things forward a little bit and has different ideas to inject into what you’re doing.
“I know things haven’t been perfect in Arizona, but one thing defensive coaches have told me consistently over the last couple of years is because it’s so outside of the norm, Kingsbury’s offense might be the most difficult to prepare for in the entire NFL. So that would be one name to put on your radar if the O’Brien thing doesn’t happen.”
Breer also mentioned former Patriots wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea (now wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for Cleveland), and current Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley as other candidates for New England’s coordinator spot.
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Of course, the first domino that needs to fall is a change in personnel with New England’s current coaching structure.
During his end-of-season press conference with the media on Monday morning, Belichick was asked if the coaching decisions this past spring put Mac Jones and the offense in the best position to succeed in 2022.
“At different decision points, you have different opportunities, and as those go along or come along we’ll continue to evaluate them and always do what we feel is best for the football team,” Belichick said.
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