3 potential replacements for Bruce Arians as Arizona Cardinals head coach

2. Matt Nagy

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Cardinals would have been in the running for Sean McVay had Arians retired a year ago. McVay, of course, landed with the Los Angeles Rams, with great results, but the Cardinals will get another shot at a rising offensive mind if Arians follows through and calls it quits.

Nagy is in his second season as Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator after being quarterbacks coach the previous three seasons. Andy Reid gets a lot of credit for whatever is done offensively by his teams, but he recently ceded play-calling to Nagy with great results.

In four games since that switch was made, the Chiefs are 3-1 while averaging 29 points and 421 yards per game. In the four games before that, they were 1-3 while averaging 16 points and 300 offensive yards per contest. Quarterback Alex Smith has also been far better over that recent four-game stretch, with a passer rating nearly 30 points higher (105.3) than the previous four games (78.7). Increased involvement for running back Kareem Hunt has also been a factor in that dramatic improvement since Nagy took over the play calling.

Nagy is in line for plenty of head coaching interviews once the cycle gets going. Any team looking to find and cultivate a quarterback of the future will have him on their list, and the Cardinals fit that bill.