The Arizona Cardinals have extended general manager Steve Keim and head coach Bruce Arians through the 2018 season, the team announced Monday. Arians had a team option through 2017, and Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic confirmed both Arians and Keim will have a fifth-year option for 2019 in their new deals.
Cardinals extend Bruce Arians, Steve Keim
Arizona will keep Bruce Arians and Steve Keim through 2018.
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Although the Cardinals didn’t release details on the contracts, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Arians will make $6 million per year.
Arians joined the Cardinals in 2013 and helped them exceed expectations, guiding the team to double-digit wins in both seasons. Keim first joined the organization as a college scout in May 1999 and was promoted to general manager the same offseason the team signed Arians.
By all accounts, the Cardinals were much better than expected in 2013, suddenly thrusting themselves into the playoff picture in the final weeks of the season and threatening to unseat the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers in the final week. They wound up losing that game, but 10 wins was considered a significant success given the lack of a consistent quarterback.
That sentiment was even greater this past season, when the Cardinals earned 11 wins and a spot in the playoffs despite Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton and Ryan Lindley all taking meaningful snaps at the quarterback position, with Logan Thomas in the mix as well.
A lot of Arizona's success this past year can be attributed to defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who has since moved on to be the head coach of the New York Jets, but Arians and Keim have used the cards dealt them and have put together two promising seasons in one of the toughest divisions in football.
Keim has also scored a pretty significant win this offseason as well: restructuring the contract of wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Though the wide receiver will surely go down in history as one of the greatest players to ever wear a Cardinals uniform, there was some thought that the team would be forced to release him due to cap concerns. But just when those rumors were really starting to pick up steam, Keim announced at the NFL Scouting Combine that Fitzgerald's deal was done and that the team had freed up around $13 million in salary cap space.
That should help the Cardinals stay competitive in a tough division. While the 49ers missed the playoffs in 2014, they're always dangerous and the Seattle Seahawks are coming off two Super Bowl appearances (and one win), so Arians and Keim will have their work cut out for them.
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