NFL Insider Raises Key Question in Cardinals’ Coaching Search

This factor is perhaps the biggest one for the Arizona Cardinals.

Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill speaks to the press from the Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe after the decision to fire head coach Jonathan Gannon on Jan. 5, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals move forward into the 2026 offseason with massive questions around what direction the organization will take after firing head coach Jonathan Gannon, ones that owner Michael Bidwill have to tackle head-on to find his next leader of the franchise.

NFL insider Mike Garafolo says above all, money is the biggest question surrounding Arizona's pursuit.

"Arizona again's going to be the team that [people will ask] how much are they going to pay a guy? Are they going to have sort of the leftovers, last-man standing type of deal?" said Garafolo on The Anthony Gargano Show.

What does the NFL HC carousel look like?
⁰- #Falcons: “Young offensive guy”⁰- #Cardinals: Are they going to pay? ⁰- #Dolphins: Hafley and Campanile could be in play. Harbaugh still a possibility. pic.twitter.com/eGaV6RDvdB

— Anthony Gargano (@AnthonyLGargano) January 9, 2026

The Cardinals have reportedly requested to interview Robert Saleh, Vance Joseph, Anthony Weaver, Raheem Morris, Klint Kubiak, Thomas Brown, Matt Nagy and Jeff Hafley.

It's not known at this time if Arizona's requested to interview names such as John Harbaugh or Mike McDaniel. The Cardinals may also be waiting to speak with coaches currently in the NFL playoffs.

When asked if he was willing to pay top dollar for a coaching candidate this offseason, Bidwill responded with, "I'm not going to negotiate the contract here with you, but we're looking forward to going out there and putting a winning coach in this position and having wins. That's what I'm focused on."

Before hiring Gannon in the 2023 coaching cycle, the Cardinals had Sean Payton at their facility for a visit. Reports surfaced he was seeking around $20 million annually in salary before he ultimately joined the Denver Broncos.

According to Sportico, there are seven coaches who earn $15 million or more per season. First-year coach Ben Johnson is reportedly earning $13 million per season with the Chicago Bears.

Gannon's figures are not currently known, though Bidwill will be on the hook for now paying Kliff Kingsbury, Gannon and a new head coach moving into 2026, though Kingsbury getting a head coaching gig could take some of the burden off.

Kyler Murray's contract is also potentially playing a part in this, as ESPN's Jeremy Fowler offered these words on how the Cardinals are approaching things financially this offseason:

"As some around the league have pointed out, owner Michael Bidwill probably won't be eager to pay both Murray and fired head coach Jonathan Gannon to work elsewhere. Murray has $36.8 million in guarantees in 2026, which will be hard to offset via trade or release. But Gannon should get a prominent defensive coordinator job somewhere, which would offset a chunk of his buyout. While it's uncertain whether Bidwill made a Gannon-or- Murray calculation, firing Gannon was the more palatable move financially."