Cardinals’ Vance Joseph ‘not worried’ about job security, focused on 49ers

TEMPE — The Arizona Cardinals face some tough realizations as they prepare for their season finale against the San Francisco 49ers.

With a four-win season staring them dead in the face in addition to 31 impending free agents, Arizona’s roster will look very different come next year. That’s a given.

What isn’t, however, is the status of head coach Kliff Kingsbury and the rest of his coaching staff.

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who confirmed Thursday he signed a contract extension last year, doesn’t know what the future holds past Sunday. He’s more focused on having a plan for Arizona native Brock Purdy and the rest of the 49ers’ offensive assets.

“I have not (been reassured that I’ll be coming back next year),” Joseph said on Thursday. “But I’m not worried about that. That’s part of the business.

“We’re coaching to win the game on Sunday and if it works out, we’ll come back with a plan in the offseason to kind of fix everything, because it’s fixable. We have not been reassured of that, and that’s OK.”

Joseph knows a thing or two about the seemingly constant churning of coaches in the NFL.

Before his hiring in the desert, Joseph ran the show as head coach of the Denver Broncos for two seasons of his four-year deal before his eventual firing at the end of the 2018 season.

That same Broncos team has since seen two more head-coaching departures since Joseph’s exit, the latest being Nathaniel Hackett this season after just 15 games at the helm.

“It’s different for every place. Every owner has their process of evaluations,” Joseph said. “I think it comes down to the final game. I think the product on the field sometimes you’re not winning but the product’s right. You watch the guys play, no one’s quitting, no one’s not following protocol and that’s what owners are looking for. The football part can be fixed. Obviously, injuries — that can be fixed with healthier players next year — but the culture, if that breaks down … that can be your demise. I think here that hasn’t happened.

“(Kingsbury’s) been the same guy every day. I think the players respect that. … Our focus is about Sunday and winning the game and playing good again and being competitive against a very good team. … Monday morning we’ll obviously know what’s going on, but it’s been honest all year. We’ve coached hard, we’ve played hard all year, so I have no regrets.”

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