Teryl Austin Was Sneaky Good Hire for Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals' addition of Teryl Austin this week to their defensive staff as a senior assistant won't be considered to be a major move by the organization. It won't sway free agents in droves to the desert nor do the Cardinals become instant contenders with his presence.

Yet Austin's hiring provides a quietly needed veteran voice for a Cardinals defense that needs to prove themselves in 2026.

Why Teryl Austin is Sneaky Good Hire for Cardinals

Teryl Austin, new Arizona Cardinals defensive coac — Jul 30, 2018; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Teryl Austin walks between drills during a camp practice session at the Paul Brown Stadium practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene/Cincinnati Enquirer via USA TODAY NETWORK | Cincinnati Enquirer-USA TODAY NETWORK

The hire of first-time head coach Mike LaFleur came with a caveat: The upside for the offensive mind was there to warrant the risk, though the Cardinals needed to surround him with veteran/seasoned voices on both sides of the ball.

While LaFleur will call plays on the offensive side of the ball, both of his coordinators in OC Nathaniel Hackett and DC Nick Rallis carry experience in terms of play-calling.

Rallis particularly was a heavily debated return after an unimpressive 2025 stint, and while Hackett had prior head coach and extensive offensive coordinator experience, none of Arizona's defensive staff carried that same water.

Until now, where Austin was a defensive coordinator at three different NFL stops including the Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Those in the know in Pittsburgh believe it's a solid hire for Arizona:

"[He's got a] Secondary coach background. Did some good things to modernize the Steelers’ coverage scheme in a Sr. Defensive Assistant role when paired with Keith Butler, who had a front-seven background," said Steelers Now's Alan Saunders.

"Took over as DC and got paired with Brian Flores as a senior assistant, and things went very well. Then Flores left and the Steelers never replaced him and Austin kind of died on the vine as a DC. Still had a bunch of top 10 defenses but really struggled last year. Had basically the highest-paid defense in the league his entire time as DC. Great dude. SDA is probably his ideal role."

Steelers On SI's Noah Strackbein offered:

"One of the smartest minds in the NFL, ask any player. Is able to form connections with guys like no other. Didn’t have all the control in Pittsburgh working under Mike Tomlin but the players were always locked in to what he was teaching and respected him."

It's not as if the experience comes from decades ago, either. Austin was a defensive coordinator in Pittsburgh through the last four seasons, where they finished top ten in points allowed in three of four years.

The hope? Austin will be able to bring an experienced yet fresh perspective for not only Rallis, but LaFleur as well.

Rallis has shown prior creativity as a play-caller and was even getting head coach shouts after the 2024 season. With improved health, the Cardinals will potentially take that coveted next step everybody expected last year.

And, in a worst-case scenario, Arizona has a replacement defensive coordinator ready on staff if Rallis again not up to par.

The Cardinals clearly learned from Gannon's inexperienced staff, and this time around, they're hoping it'll be different under LaFleur.

Austin's two decades of NFL coaching experience bodes well as a seasoned voice on Arizona's defensive staff. It's not a groundbreaking move, though Austin does bring value that was previously missing in the desert.