Larry Fitzgerald Endorses Sean Payton for Cardinals Head Coaching Job
The Arizona Cardinals are in search of their next head coach and have seen their options dwindle slightly.
The Carolina Panthers made the first move of this coaching cycle, hiring Frank Reich, who was the first candidate interviewed by the Cardinals after new general manager Monti Ossenfort was introduced. Arizona interviewed Dan Quinn twice, but he decided to stick with the Dallas Cowboys as defensive coordinator.
Yet, the Cardinals hosted Sean Payton on Thursday as he reportedly had lunch with owner Michael Bidwill.
On Friday, Cardinals team legend and future Hall of Fame receiver Larry Fitzgerald went on Arizona Sports' "Bickley & Marotta" and recommended that the team hires Payton for their head coaching vacancy.
“If you really want to build a foundation for success, Sean Payton has done that for quite a while," Fitzgerald said. "He is a franchise-changer. If you’re trying to change the conversation, he’s the guy that has the ability to do that."
Fitzgerald knows a thing or two about the history of Payton. The year after the Cardinals lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 43, Payton's Saints defeated Fitzgerald's Cardinals in the Divisional Round by a score of 45-14.
"Look at what he did with Drew Brees," Fitzgerald said. "He did it under the tutelage of Sean Payton. He can change the fortunes of an organization.”
Payton interviewed with the Carolina Panthers prior to meeting with the Cardinals. He reportedly pushed back a meeting with the Broncos to meet with Arizona.
If Kyler Murray can recover fully from his torn ACL, the Cardinals could be an intriguing spot for Payton or another candidate.
The Cardinals have also interviewed a handful of other experienced head coaching candidates such as Vance Joseph and Brian Flores.
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