Bruce Arians has already put the retirement rumors to rest and insists he plans to return to the Arizona Cardinals next season, but he might end up facing the exact same questions in 2017.
Two AFC assistant coaches who claim they know Arians well told Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that the 64-year-old plans to make the 2017 season his last. For what it’s worth, Freeman believes Arians is “the type of coach who will have to be pushed out the door” and is not considering calling it a career.
Given his health issues in recent years, the retirement speculation surrounding Arians makes sense. He is one of the oldest head coaches in the NFL, and he was hospitalized with chest pains earlier this season. Even veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald hinted at the time that he believes the stresses of the job and the team’s poor play contributed to Arians’ latest health scare.
The Cardinals were one of the favorites to win the NFC heading into the year, but things did not go as planned. Despite that, Arians is still considered one of the better coaches in the league. It’s highly unlikely Arizona will force him out this offseason or next.
