The Cardinals took a big swing when they hired Kliff Kingsbury as their next head coach. Certainly, such a swing would allow for a little bit of faith, some patience — and a nice chunk of change.
Kingsbury took the Cardinals job after spurning USC in 2019. He made the jump to NFL head coach despite never serving as much as an assistant role in the league. Some promising early returns and the development of Kyler Murray earned him a contract extension prior to the start of the 2022 season.
MORE: Offensive woes put Kingsbury, Murray under the microscope
But the football gods oftentimes laugh at the best-laid plans, and the Cardinals’ 2-4 start may have Arizona brass trying to find the receipt on the deal. There’s plenty of time left, but lots has to go right for the team to get back into playoff contention.
Here’s what you need to know about Kingsbury’s deal:
Kliff Kingsbury contract details
Prior to the start of the 2022 season, Kingsbury signed a five-year extension that will keep him in Arizona through the 2027 season. Unless, well, he gets the axe.
It’s unclear how much money Kingsbury is making, but some reports say that Kingsbury is making roughly $5.5 million in 2022. It’s unclear if his salary will escalate per year under the contract.
Such a number would put him roughly in the middle of the pack of NFL head coaches, ahead of names like Matt LaFleur, Mike McCarthy and Zac Taylor. For comparison, Sean McVay, fresh off a Super Bowl win, is making a reported $15 million to $18 million, the highest head coach salary in football.
Kingsbury was entering the last year of his original four-year deal in 2022 before putting pen to paper on the extension.
Why did the Cardinals sign Kingsbury to an extension?
“The leadership of both Steve and Kliff have been key factors in the team’s turnaround over the last three seasons,” Cardinals principal owner Michael Bidwill said. “We are all looking forward to continuing that progress and recognize these two individuals will be a big part of achieving our long-term goals as an organization.”
Kingsbury is 26-28-1 in three-plus seasons as Cardinals coach. The team is off to an inauspicious start in 2022, especially on offense, where Kingsbury makes his bones. His teams also experienced second-half swoons in 2020 and 2021.
Kingsbury has a long way to go before cracking the upper echelon of NFL head coaches, especially when it comes to money. Turning the Cardinals’ season around would be Step 1 on the path to more success — and more green.
