Cardinals OC tracker: Saints RB coach Joel Thomas requested for interview

The Arizona Cardinals checked one box in their rebuild with the hiring of head coach Jonathan Gannon on Tuesday.

Now, it’s onto filling out the remainder of his coaching staff ahead of Gannon’s first season on the job.

From a coordinator standpoint, the search has already begun, with vacancies on both sides of the football.

A look at the names being linked to the Cardinals’ open offensive coordinator job:

Troy Walters, Cincinnati Bengals WRs coach

The Cardinals have requested an interview with Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters for Arizona’s open offensive coordinator job, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.

Walters is coming off his second season as the Bengals’ WRs coach after being promoted from assistant wide receivers coach in 2020.

He suited up in 15 games at wide receiver for the Cardinals in 2006 and played eight seasons in the NFL from 2000-07 before joining the coaching ranks as offensive coordinator at the collegiate level from 2009-2019.

Walters has been to two AFC Championship games and one Super Bowl in the last two seasons in Cincinnati while also coaching one of the league’s best wideouts in Ja’Mafr Chase.

Joel Thomas, New Orleans Saints RBs coach

The Cardinals have reportedly requested an interview with New Orleans Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas for Arizona’s OC role, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Thomas just wrapped up his eighth year as the Saints’ running backs coach, working with Pro Bowl talents Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. Most of his tenure was spent working under head coach Sean Payton, whom the Cardinals targeted this offseason to be head coach.

He previously spent two years as the RBs coach at the University of Arkansas from 2013-14 and four years in the role with the University of Washington from 2009-12.

Drew Terrell, Washington Commanders WRs coach

The Cardinals have reportedly requested an interview with Washington Commanders wide receivers coach Drew Terrell over Arizona’s OC vacancy, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Terrell is a Valley native who was born in Mesa and graduated from Hamilton High School in Chandler.

He joined Washington as an assistant receivers coach in 2020 before getting promoted in 2021.

Terrell previously worked as the Carolina Panthers’ quality control coach from 2018-19 and was an offensive graduate assistant with the University of Michigan from 2015-17.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with Terrell on the sideline.

Drew Petzing, Cleveland Browns QBs coach

The Cardinals reportedly requested an interview with Cleveland Browns quarterbacks coach Drew Petzing over Arizona’s OC opening, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Gannon and Petzing spent four seasons together as members of the Minnesota Vikings’ coaching staff from 2014-17.

Petzing is coming off his first season as the Browns QBs coach after working with Cleveland tight ends the previous two years.

In 2022, Petzing worked with Jacoby Brissett and Deshaun Watson. In 11 starts before handing over the reins to Watson, Brissett completed 64% of his throws for 2,608 yards and 12 touchdowns to six interceptions. He also scored on the ground twice.

Before his recent stint with the Browns, Petzing spent a total of six seasons with the Vikings, working as an offensive assistant (2014-15), assistant wide receivers coach (2016-17), assistant QBs coach (2018) and WRs coach (2019).

He got his start in the NFL as a football operations intern with the Browns in 2013.

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