Cardinals rumored to be focused on Pat Shurmur

Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is a hot coaching candidate this offseason and the Arizona Cardinals have their sights set on him.

In the midst of coaching rumors involving Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, there’s a much older coordinator in the running to fill a head coaching vacancy. Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has led Case Keenum and the Vikings on a magical run in 2017. He could be taking his talents elsewhere after the season.

Shurmur has been heavily linked with the New York Giants but that’s not set in stone. According to reports, it looks like Arizona could be the destination. The Cardinals are focusing heavily on bringing Shurmur in and he’s seen as the front-runner for the job.

Bruce Arians’ retirement wasn’t surprising to many. The Cardinals could promote in-house but it looks like Shurmur is the top candidate. His availability will depend on how far the Vikings go in the postseason. But nonetheless, Shurmur is a top head coaching candidate for the work he’s done this season.

After questions under center heading into the season and losing Dalvin Cook early to a torn ACL, the Vikings offense has been impressive. Case Keenum has emerged as a top quarterback and the tandem of Jerrick McKinnon and Latavius Murray in the backfield has made up for lost production. The Vikings finished the season as the 11th ranked passing attack and seventh-ranked rushing attack. While the players deserve the credit for their production, Shurmur’s scheme worked to perfection.

With Carson Palmer’s retirement, Shurmur would be inheriting an interesting quarterback situation. If Shurmur was hired, he could convince Keenum to follow him to Arizona. A rebuilding year in 2018 could be much different with the return of a healthy David Johnson and veteran Larry Fitzgerald.

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There’s still plenty of time left on this coaching carousel but it looks like Shurmur could be a head coach in the coming weeks.