Arizona Cardinals moving on from DC Vance Joseph, report says

Vance Joseph’s time with the Arizona Cardinals has come to a close, as the team released him from his contract, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported on Thursday.

Joseph spent four seasons as Arizona’s defensive coordinator, as he joined head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s staff ahead of the 2019 season.

Kingsbury was fired in January, and the Cardinals hired former Philadelphia Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon as his replacement.

Anderson reported that Gannon planned to speak with Cardinals staff members and offer clarity on their futures with the franchise, and the head coach told reporters he intended to talk with Joseph on Thursday.

Joseph has reportedly received interest from other teams, including the Eagles and Denver Broncos.

Gannon said during his introductory press conference on Thursday that he had not decided whether or not he will call the defense.

“That’s going to depend a little bit on the makeup of the staff,” Gannon said.

Arizona’s defense improved in each of Joseph’s first three years, as it allowed 27.6 points per game in 2019, 22.9 in 2020 and 21.5 in 2021.

Last year was a step back across the board as injuries and poor offensive play put the defense in precarious situations.

The Cardinals allowed 26.4 points per game in 2022, which ranked No. 31 in the league.

Joseph ran an aggressive defense with heavy blitzing and false pressures. The Cardinals finished in the top-four in blitz percentage for four seasons.

He interviewed for the Cardinals’ head coaching position as someone in the building highly respected by the players, but the franchise went in another direction.

Joseph signed a contract extension last offseason, as did Kingsbury.

Anderson reported that Gannon will alert some staff members what their future with the team is in the next 24 hours.

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