After Cardinals win, Bruce Arians says he’ll decide on future in next 48 hours
Dec 31, 2017, 6:20 PM | Updated: 9:01 pm
Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians is hugged by quarterback Drew Stanton (5) after Seattle Seahawks kicker Blair Walsh missed a field goal at the end of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Like his no risk-it, no biscuit coaching philosophy, Bruce Arians won’t dink and dunk his way into deciding whether he’ll coach the Arizona Cardinals in 2018.
After Arizona beat the Seattle Seahawks, 26-24, on Sunday in the 2017 finale, the head coach refuted reports that suggested he has already made a decision about his future.
That news about whether he will retire will come “in the next 48 hours,” Arians told 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Paul Calvisi.
“Everybody thinks they know what I’m doing,” Arians added. “They haven’t talked to me. They haven’t talked to my wife.”
With the win, he wasn’t going to be humble about all he’s accomplished.
Coach is a good host. pic.twitter.com/5NrytPexeb
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 1, 2018
When a missed Seahawks field goal with 37 seconds remaining at CenturyLink Field gave Arizona the victory, Arians became the Cardinals’ franchise leader with 50 victories — in the regular season and postseason — as coach.
Doing so in Seattle moved Arians to 4-1 at the home of the Seahawks, and Arians welcomed reporters to the postgame media session appropriately.
A good way to end 2017. Love you Bruce. Happy whatever is next! #gocards #beatseattle #brucearians #agreatcareer #arizonacardinals pic.twitter.com/CGDlX74iit
— Robin LaCorte (@Robinlacorte) January 1, 2018
“I welcomed everybody to my house, hoped they got home safely,” Arians told Calvisi.
As questions over Arians’ future loomed, it was clear the victory that moved Arizona to 8-8 on the year was an emotional one for the coach. He said that the Cardinals finishing the year strong despite being riddled with injuries to key players make his decision about walking away from the game even harder.
“Oh, heck yeah. For this team to win here and to know what’s coming back, this is one heck of a football team,” Arians told Calvisi.
“I can’t lie. It’s very, very gratifying and to win it the way we have in December is just a testament to the players and the coaching staff.”
