Arizona Cardinals retain special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers
Feb 20, 2023, 1:26 PM | Updated: Feb 21, 2023, 2:39 pm
Assistant head coach Jeff Rodgers of the Arizona Cardinals disagrees with a penalty call during the second half of a game against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium on September 29, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. Seahawks won 27-10. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
(Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Arizona Cardinals special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Jeff Rodgers is staying onboard under head coach Jonathan Gannon, the team announced Tuesday.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported the news on Monday.
Rodgers will be on the sidelines for a third head coach in Arizona, as he was brought in ahead of the 2018 season with Steve Wilks at the helm.
The Cardinals gave him the title of assistant head coach in 2019 when Kliff Kingsbury took the reigns.
Gannon was hired on Tuesday, and since then the Cardinals have added new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis.
Wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson already took another job with the Carolina Panthers.
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Rodgers has coached special teams in the NFL for 19 seasons with five franchises.
In 2021 when Arizona went 11-6, kicker Matt Prater produced the second-highest scoring season in franchise history with 137 points, while punter Andy Lee averaged 49 yards per punt.
In Week 6 of that season, Rodgers and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph were co-head coaches while Kingsbury was out with COVID-19. The Cardinals beat the Cleveland Browns 37-14 during the game.
Last year, Arizona finished No. 14 in value over average on special teams, according to Football Outsiders. The Cardinals’ offense finished No. 30 and the defense No. 26.
Prater, 38, and Lee, 40, are upcoming free agents.
Rodgers will keep some familiarity in the organization with so many new faces coming in.
