Kliff Kingsbury was fired on Monday, and it didn’t take long for a sportsbook to react.
Bovada has unveiled odds for the Cardinals’ next head coach, and Sean Payton tops the list. The former Saints coach, who took 2022 off but is looking to return to the NFL next season, has odds of +225 to be the next head coach in Arizona.
He is followed closely by Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who are both listed with +300 odds.
Surprisingly, Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph does not have odds listed even though he is expected to be a top candidate for the opening.
Here is a look at the odds to be the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals for Game 1 of the 2023 season, per Bovada:
- Sean Payton +225
- Shane Steichen +300
- DeMeco Ryans +300
- Dan Quinn +325
- Eric Bienemy +700
- Ben Johnson +750
- Jonathan Gannon +750
Payton could reportedly be interested in the Cardinals’ opening, especially if teams like the Chargers, Rams and Cowboys retain their head coaches.
Arizona could offer Payton plenty of control because GM Steve Keim is also out along with Kingsbury. Payton had great success with Drew Brees despite height limitations, which could have him intrigued by the prospect of pairing with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
Murray tore his ACL late in the season and could miss some time in 2023. It’s unclear if that would affect Payton’s thought process. Payton said Sunday that the ownership and front office functionality are more important factors to him than the quarterback.
Steichen has helped Jalen Hurts progress into one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, and could run a similar scheme in Arizona with Murray’s dual-threat abilities. It would be a natural pairing, though it remains to be seen if hiring a candidate with similarities to Kingsbury would be something preferred by Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill.
Ryans has led a dominant defensive outfit for the 49ers and is expected to be one of the most sought-after head coaching candidates in the cycle. Quinn has done a nice job with the Dallas Cowboys defense and has previous head-coaching experience.
