Cardinals coach Bruce Arians was at one time Mendenhall’s offensive coordinator with the Steelers.

Mendenhall had led the Steelers in rushing for three straight seasons before a disappointing 2012 season marred by injuries and a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.

He was suspended for a game in December for not attending a loss to the Chargers after he found out he wouldn’t dress for the game. He also was inactive for two games after fumbling twice on four carries in a loss to the Browns.

Mendenhall also was slowed by injuries last season. He tore the ACL in his right knee in Week 17 of the 2011 season and didn’t return until Oct. 4 of last season. His return didn’t last long, though, as he strained his right Achilles four days later.

The 25-year-old running back has rushed for 3,549 yards and 29 touchdowns in 57 career games.

The Cardinals released running back Beanie Wells last week.

The 6-foot-4, 229-pound Wells was envisioned as a power running back to anchor Arizona’s offense, but injuries and inconsistent play kept him from being a regular threat. He had only three 100-yard rushing games in his four seasons in the desert.

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The trade is expected to include the Seahawks’ 2013 first-round draft choice being sent to the Vikings, sources told ESPN.

It also is contingent on Harvin agreeing to a new contract, which is expected to be finalized in the next 48 hours.

The trade agreement, contingent on Harvin passing a physical, was earlier reported by Fox Sports.

Harvin is scheduled to fly to Seattle on Monday night and will undergo his physical in next 24 hours, a source said.

The trade cannot be officially completed until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, when the 2013 league year officially begins.

Seattle has a connection to Harvin. The team’s offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell, held the same job with Minnesota when the Vikings drafted Harvin in 2009. Harvin also will be reunited with receiver Sidney Rice, who was his one-time teammate in Minnesota.

Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman posted a message on Twitter, welcoming Harvin to the team.

“Welcome to the Team bruh @Percy_Harvin … Happy to have ya,” he wrote.

When asked about the trade, Seahawks receiver Golden Tate, whose spot on the Seahawks’ depth chart will be altered with the addition of Harvin, told Josina Anderson that “it’s a business.”

“The Seahawks are trying to do whatever they think is necessary to put together a Super Bowl quality team. If this is one of the steps they think works to accomplish that, then that’s their choice. I don’t think it will impact any of our work habits. We are still going to grind and let the cards play out the way that they will,” he said.

Last month at the scouting combine, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman insisted he had no intent to deal the receiver, who he called a “dynamic playmaker,” and said he wouldn’t even take phone calls about a trade.

Harvin, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, badly sprained his left ankle on Nov. 4 at Seattle last season and didn’t play again. The Vikings placed him on season-ending injured reserve a month later.

Harvin made waves last summer when he expressed unhappiness with the organization and requested a trade. By the time training camp arrived, he had simmered down. He went home to Florida for his rehabilitation after he was placed on injured reserve, but coach Leslie Frazier downplayed his absence, noting that others have chosen to do the same.

He started last season playing like a Most Valuable Player award candidate, leading the league in total yards (receiving, rushing and returning) through nine games in 2012 until he was hurt.

Harvin still led the team in receptions (62) and yards receiving (677) despite playing barely half of a season, and he had a kickoff return for a touchdown as well as 96 yards rushing and one score on the ground.

The 24-year-old Harvin has 7,168 all-purpose yards in his four-season career with 29 touchdowns (20 receiving, five return, four rushing). He also has 280 receptions in 54 career games.

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Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner worked well with Smith in San Francisco when he was the team’s offensive coordinator in 2006 and Chiefs coach Andy Reid has expressed an interest in Smith in the past, making Cleveland and Kansas City two possible destinations.

There’s one other factor to consider: If San Francisco deals Smith instead of cutting him, it would save the $1 million or $2 million roster bonus it would have to pay if he is released.

Smith, the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick, lost his starting job to Colin Kaepernick while sitting out with a concussion but has been professional at every turn and has continued to mentor his replacement.

In fact, coach Jim Harbaugh has indicated that Smith spends more time than he does coaching Kaepernick.

Before his injury, Smith had completed 26 of his last 28 passes — including going 18-of-19 for 232 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions (good to a 157.1 passer rating) in a “Monday Night Football” win at Arizona on Oct. 29.

He then sustained a concussion in the second quarter of the 49ers’ next game, a 24-24 tie against St. Louis on Nov. 11. Smith sat out the next game as Kaepernick dazzled in his debut as an NFL starter, beating the Bears handily at home on “Monday Night Football.” Smith didn’t start again this season.

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Beamer announced Friday that he’s hired former Auburn offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler to lead Virginia Tech’s offense, former Stanford wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead to take over the Hokies’ wideouts, and another Auburn assistant, Jeff Grimes, to coach the offensive line. Grimes was Auburn’s O-line coach.

The Hokies finished 7-6, in large part because of their inability to run the ball consistently and a regressing passing game. Virginia Tech’s streak of eight consecutive 10-win seasons ended, and the Hokies had to win their last two regular-season games just to qualify for the Russell Athletic Bowl — where they beat Rutgers 13-10 in overtime.

The moves mark the second major overhaul of Beamer’s offensive staff in seven years, and the departures of three staffers brought on during the last one. Quarterbacks coach Mike O’Cain was fired, receivers coach Kevin Sherman left for the same position at Purdue and Curt Newsome left the program, reportedly to head back to James Madison, although the school has not said if he was fired or resigned.

Bryan Stinespring, the offensive coordinator since 2001 and a 20-year member of Beamer’s staff, has been moved to recruiting coordinator. Considered the Hokies’ best recruiter, he also will continue to coach tight ends.

The new coaches will be introduced next Friday.

While Stinespring had the coordinator’s title, O’Cain has called the plays for the past two seasons.

The Stinespring-O’Cain combination directed a record-setting season in 2011, largely on the legs of NFL first-round draft choice David Wilson at tailback and the arm of emerging quarterback Logan Thomas. Wilson ran for a school-record 1,709 yards, and Thomas had a school-record 3,482 total yards.

But 2012 marked a return to the inconsistency that often prompted Hokies fans to call for change. Virginia Tech finished 81st nationally in both total offense (376.7 ypg) and scoring (25.08 ppg). Thomas had 3,500 yards of total offense, but completed just 51.3 percent of his throws and had 16 interceptions.

Beamer, who is intensely loyal to his staff and often cites the absence of significant turnover for allowing the Hokies to climb the ranks into college football’s elite, decided change was in order. He is thought to have interviewed several candidates for the coordinator’s job during the past few weeks.

Loeffler, 38, has coached for 15 seasons in the NFL and in college. He was the offensive coordinator at Temple in 2011 when the Owls finished 9-4 and ranked seventh in the nation with an average of 256.5 rushing yards. He moved to Auburn last season, and the inexperienced Tigers struggled mightily. They averaged just 305 yards, 115th out of 120 teams at the FBS level, and were 112th in scoring (18.67).

He has also coached six quarterbacks who went on to play in the NFL, including New England’s Tom Brady and Florida’s Tim Tebow, who left the Gators with five NCAA and 14 Southeastern Conference records.

Grimes, 44, spent five seasons at Auburn, including the national championship year in 2010, and worked with Loeffler last season.

Moorehead, 32, has been an assistant at Stanford for the past three years.

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McCoy had one thing to do, though, before accepting the Chargers’ offer, so it was a good thing Chargers president Dean Spanos’ private plane was at his disposal.

“There was no doubt in my mind when I got back on that plane to go back home,” said McCoy, the former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator who was introduced Tuesday as Chargers’ new coach. “They wanted to keep me here last night. But I said, ‘I’ve got to talk to my wife about this before.’ If I made the decision without talking to my wife, I might get in a little trouble.”

So McCoy flew back to Denver to talk it over with his wife, Kellie. McCoy, his wife and their two children were back on the same plane Tuesday morning, flying back to San Diego to take the job.

“Without a doubt, we knew this was the place we wanted to be,” said McCoy, who signed a four-year contract.

McCoy replaces Norv Turner, who was fired along with general manager A.J. Smith after the Chargers finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.

The move comes three days after the top-seeded Broncos were eliminated from the playoffs in a double-overtime home loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The 40-year-old McCoy is the same age as Tom Telesco, who was hired as general manager last week. He interviewed after the Chargers already had talked to Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, fired head coaches Lovie Smith and Ken Whisenhunt, and Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.

“Once he came in and once we saw how good he was, we just felt we had to have him now,” Telesco said of McCoy. “We had to get it done or we’d lose him.”

“He was polished, prepared, had great questions, which I think is big, too, that he had a lot of questions for us. It’s a partnership between the GM and the head coach, through and through. We spend more time with each other during the season than we do with our own family, so it’s got to be a tight relationship. When he came in, after a little bit of time, you could tell he was the right guy for us. We went after him hard.”

San Diego was scheduled to interview Indianapolis offensive coordinator Bruce Arians on Wednesday. Telesco, previously the Colts’ vice president of football operations, called Arians on Tuesday morning and told him the Chargers had hired McCoy.

“It was a tough phone call,” Telesco said. “I have so much respect for Bruce. He’s an excellent football coach. He’s going to be a great head coach in this league. I was honest with him. I said, ‘There’s different situations, different fits, and right now, this is a fit for Mike McCoy.’ He understood.”

McCoy inherits a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since after the 2008 season.

He thanked all the coaches and players he’s worked with over the years for helping him get to this point. He also said he knew just a few minutes into his interview that San Diego was the right place.

“They all laughed at me when I walked in yesterday with this big ol’ bag with all these books and binders and everything,” McCoy said. “Well, that’s my life’s work. We’ve got a detailed plan that Tom and I are going to put together. … There’s going to be some change. There’s a reason for change. And change is good sometimes in organizations. We’ve just got to make the most of the opportunity we have moving forward.”

The Broncos have won consecutive AFC West titles. McCoy tutored quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow in 2011, and had Peyton Manning behind center in 2012.

McCoy, who interviewed with the Miami Dolphins last year after retooling Denver’s offense to the read-option for Tebow at midstream in 2011, burnished his head coaching credentials this season while blending the power formations the Broncos used in leading the league in rushing last year with Tebow and some of the spread formations that Manning ran in Indianapolis.

“I think he’s going to be a great head coach. Very detail-oriented, knows the game, relates with players very well,” Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley said.

“Peyton does a lot but Mike is very good at what he does and he did a great job this year, so a lot of credit needs to go to him, also,” Stokley said. “I think that’s what you need to be a head coach — you need to be flexible. You need to do whatever you think is the best for your team to win and you know that’s what he’s done. You saw that last year. Not a lot of offensive coordinators in the NFL like running that kind of offense, but that’s what he did and it was successful.”

McCoy said he was “a bit stubborn” after Tebow was made the starter in 2011, but then realized he needed to change the offense.

“You take advantage of what your players do best,” McCoy said.

With the Chargers, McCoy will work with Philip Rivers, who struggled this season in large part because he was under siege behind a shaky offensive line. Rivers was sacked 49 times and committed 22 turnovers, giving him 47 turnovers in two seasons.

“You go through the disappointment from the season and losing your coach to now having a new GM, new coach, and you get excited and ready to go for this 2013 season,” Rivers said.

“Once I found out that we were bringing him in on Monday, I was hoping he wasn’t going to leave again. I’m excited that was the case and I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Denver swept the Chargers in 2012, including an epic 35-24 victory at San Diego on Oct. 15 when Manning calmly led the Broncos back from a 24-0 halftime deficit.

McCoy was a walk-on quarterback at Long Beach State under coach George Allen. After the 49ers dropped football, he transferred to Utah. He signed with the Broncos as a free agent and spent his rookie season on Green Bay’s practice squad. He had stops in NFL Europe and with San Francisco, Philadelphia and in the CFL. He began his pro coaching career with Carolina before moving to the Broncos in 2009.

McCoy said he learned about detail and preparation from Allen, who coached the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins.

“He was not a big yeller and screamer, he just expected you to go out there and do your job and execute the system the way it was supposed to be executed,” McCoy said.

McCoy said he planned to hire an offensive coordinator to call plays. Turner called his own plays. McCoy was non-committal about defensive coordinator John Pagano, saying he planned to evaluate the entire staff.

The post Mike McCoy takes San Diego Chargers head coach job appeared first on IdealCapper.

Reid said he will call the offense for the Chiefs instead of new offensive coordinator Doug Pederson. He credited Pederson, who was the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach for Reid in Philadelphia, for being “a sharp kid.”

“Doug is a good student. I’ve watched his leadership on the field. I’ve watched his ability to teach. I’ve watched the respect the players have for him. All of those things checked out. He’s a creative guy. He knows this offense like the back of his hand. He knows protections, he knows situational calls,” Reid said, according to the Kansas City Star.

Meanwhile, there was speculation Reid might switch the Chiefs to the 4-3 defensive front that he mainly employed as coach of the Eagles. However, he said he hired new defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, who was the Jets’ linebackers coach, with the 3-4 in mind.

“There’s been time invested in the 3-4 here,” Reid said, according to the newspaper. “The 3-4 gives you some flexibility. I’ve run both (defensive systems). I’ve been involved in both so I understand how they were. The 4-3 is good if you have the right coaches in place and the team is invested in it. But this team here is invested in the 3-4, so let’s continue to build it and get better at it.”

Reid said Sutton “knows the 3-4 and he knows it well,” according to the newspaper.

Reid also confirmed an ESPN report that former Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano was interviewed to become the Chiefs’ offensive line coach.

He said Sparano’s interview “went well.”

The Chiefs also hired Bears assistant Dave Toub to direct special teams on Tuesday, and announced that he’s retaining linebackers coach Gary Gibbs and defensive backs coach Emmitt Thomas from the previous staff.

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Owner Ralph Wilson, 94, relinquished his title as team president to Brandon, who already held the title of CEO. In his new role, Brandon will report directly to Wilson.

Brandon said Buddy Nix will remain the club’s general manager. A team source told ESPN, however, that the Bills will transition to Doug Whaley at GM at some point. Whaley will be involved in the coaching search as well.

The Bills fired coach Chan Gailey on Monday after their second consecutive 6-10 this season and are in the midst of their fifth coaching search since 2001.

“As soon as we get off this podium, we go to work,” Brandon said Tuesday. “We’re heading out of here and starting that process.”

First stop: Arizona.

That was the destination of a plane Brandon, general manager Buddy Nix and several other key front-office members had boarded to immediately begin the process of finding a coach.

Though the team, on its website, didn’t divulge any details beyond Brandon’s travel plans, Arizona is home to three potential candidates: Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton as well as former Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt and his assistant Russ Grimm, who had both been fired a day earlier.

Buffalo has asked for permission to interview Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy for its coaching vacancy, a league source told ESPN.

Brandon discussed his promotion at a news conference following a Monday meeting with the 94-year-old Hall of Fame owner at his home in suburban Detroit.

“It was a rather emotional visit,” Brandon said. “He told me he was passing the torch to me to run the franchise in totality. He has granted me full authority to run the franchise with zero restrictions and zero limitations.”

Buffalo extended the NFL’s longest playoff drought to 13 years this season. Over that stretch, Buffalo only once had a winning record — 9-7 in 2004.

Wilson, the franchise’s founder, has only once before given up the title of president. That was in 2001, when he hired Tom Donahoe to also serve as general manager. Donahoe was fired after the 2005 season, at which point Wilson took back the title and said he had no plan to ever give it up again.

“These past 13 years have been very difficult on our fans and we have not produced the type of winning team that they deserve,” Wilson said in the statement. “It has been frustrating for our organization and for me as well. We want our team to be one that our fans are proud of. I believe that Russ has the unique abilities to assemble and lead the talent we will need to get the job done.”

Brandon said the coaching search will be “exhaustive” as he attempts to revive a once-proud franchise whose brand and relevancy, he believes, is “tarnished.”

“We haven’t won enough games. And that’s on us,” Brandon said. “And we’re going to change it. We need to change it. And I will go to the end of the earth to make sure that we change it.”

Nix will report directly to Brandon, while maintaining authority over football operations.

Nix declined to be pinned down on the what he’s looking for in a coaching candidate, saying: “This time, I think it’s wide open.”

That’s a switch from three years ago, when Nix narrowed his parameters on hiring someone with previous head-coaching experience and an offensive background.

On other issues, Nix called it “an organizational” decision to fire Gailey. Nix backtracked on the unconditional support he voiced toward Gailey in November by saying: “Things change, and it changed some with us. We kind of collapsed at the end. That made a difference.”

As for starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s future, Nix said that will be left up to the next coach.

Brandon completed his 16th season with the Bills, and has been serving as the team’s chief operating officer since 2008. He was initially hired to work as the Bills director of business development and marketing. He previously served as general manager in 2008 and `09, taking over after Marv Levy stepped down.

During his time with the team, Brandon’s played a key role in expanding the franchise’s small-market base both east into Rochester, and north into southern Ontario and Toronto.

In 2008, Brandon played a significant role in spearheading the Bills playing games in Toronto, located a two-hour drive from Buffalo. The team reached a five-year deal to play eight games — including five annual regular season games — in Canada’s largest city and financial capital.

The deal with Toronto-based Rogers Communications expired this year, but the Bills and Rogers have expressed confidence that the series of games will be renewed in the coming months.

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But Emery also divulged that the Bears’ decision to make a coaching change ultimately came down to inconsistency on offense and the team’s inability to perennially advance to the postseason.

“During the course of Smith’s career, we’ve had one offense that ranked in the teens (in 2006, when the Bears advanced to the Super Bowl). We haven’t had the balance between our defensive excellence,” Emery said during a press conference Tuesday. “We have searched for answers. The end result is we did not have enough consistency. That, paired with not getting into the playoffs on a consistent basis, I made the change moving forward.”

Emery insisted he made the decision to fire Smith, who led the team to the postseason three times in nine years, and came to that end with the blessings of team president Ted Phillips and Bears chairman George McCaskey.

McCaskey admitted the decision to fire Smith was “very difficult” because “our family has high regard for Lovie.”

Smith came to Halas Hall on Monday to speak with Emery, Phillips and McCaskey, who said “I was struggling to keep my emotions in check.”

The task now is for the Bears to find a replacement for Smith. Emery said the team will conduct interviews over the next two weeks.

According to league sources, Emery already has traveled to Atlanta to interview Falconsspecial teams coordinator Keith Armstrong.

The Cowboys have granted the Bears permission to interview special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, a Dallas source told ESPN. DeCamillis shares a history with Emery, as they worked together with the Falcons.

The Bears also will interview Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy over the weekend and will also sit down with Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, sources told ESPN.

Team president Ted Phillips was asked if budget will be an issue with the hire.

“We’ve talked about what do we want to do in terms of bringing in a head coach and the bottom line is we want the right fit,” Phillips said. “We want the synergy with Phil. We want the synergies with the players with the whole organization, a sense of excellence and once Phil brings in those final candidates — believe he’ll bring in great candidates who will be a great fit, then we’re going to do whatever it takes to hire the right guy.”

Emery said there’s “a sense of urgency” to conclude the search as quickly as possible, and ideally he’d like to “stand shoulder to shoulder” with the new head coach at the Jan. 19 East-West Shrine Game or the Senior Bowl, set for Jan. 26.

The rest of Smith’s assistant coaches, meanwhile, remain under contract and, according to an NFL source, were told by Emery they won’t know their ultimate fate until the new head coach is in place.

Emery extended the contracts of Smith’s staff last season “to protect them because I was a new GM” but it also “protected the club.”

“There are going to be candidates that will have people in mind (for positions as assistants) that they may not be able to reach,” Emery said. “NFL rules are very definitive in that the only position an assistant coach that is currently under contract with a team can move from one team to another is head coach. So we could be denied in our effort. If we find a head coach we like and want to move forward to, he may have an assistant he wants to move forward on, but we might not be able to reach.

“Having our assistant coaches here and getting to know them for a year, and know who they are and where their level of excellence not only is, but what their level of expertise is, was very important in the course of the evaluation.”

Some of the assistants don’t want to return, according to a source, who also said many would jump at the opportunity to become a part of Smith’s staff if he receives another job as head coach. Sources told ESPN that four teams looking for head coaches have reached out to Smith.

Emery outlined qualities the club seeks during its search for a new head coach, saying the “No. 1 criteria is excellence in their role,” as well as “great organizational skills, administrative skills, along with leadership skills.”

Emery also covets a “high-energy” candidate that can represent the Bears positively in dealings with the media.

Prospective salary won’t be a hindrance in Chicago’s pursuit of coaching candidates, according to Emery, McCaskey and Phillips.

“The NFL head coaching job is a 24/7 job,” Emery said. “It’s a high demand, extremely competitive environment. You have to be highly organized, thorough, (and) meticulous to make sure you’re always putting your team in position for success. It goes to the minute details of the collective bargaining agreement.”

Emery also pointed out he plans to interview a wide range of candidates, and “no one has been excluded,” including remaining assistants under contract from the Smith regime. Special teams coach Dave Toub received an interview for a head coaching position in Miami last season. Offensive coordinator Mike Tice and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli have also served as head coaches in the past.

The Bears plan to take a look at coaches from all backgrounds, whether it is on offense, defense or special teams, and they’ll peruse candidates from both the NFL and collegiate level. Ideally, if the Bears go the college route, they’d like for the candidate to have experience on the NFL level.

If Chicago goes after any college coaches, it will wait until after the bowl season to do so, and adhere to rules requiring it to first contact the athletic director or school president of any prospective candidate it would like to interview.

Given the fact it’s occurred before, there’s a chance the prospective new head coach of the Bears might prefer another quarterback over current starter Jay Cutler. Emery indicated he’s “not saying that” keeping Cutler would be a requirement for the new head coach.

But earlier in the nearly hour-long press conference, Emery spoke of the need “to build around (Cutler).

“That’s been the goal from the beginning,” he said. “To build around Jay and to build our team towards championships.”

Asked specifically whether keeping Cutler, who is set in 2013 to enter the final year of his contract, was a requirement of the new head coach, Emery steered his response to the need to find someone capable of developing the entire team.

“I’m saying that I’m looking for a head coach that can take all the unique talents we have and bring them together toward winning championships,” Emery said. “It’s not just about Jay. There are 10 other guys that start out there.

“We have to have coaches and staff that are capable of finding their skills sets, what they do best and building offense, defense and special teams toward something that is consistently moving toward championships. Our team.”

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Reid’s status as the favorite for the Cardinals’ job was earlier reported by KTVK-TV in Phoenix on Tuesday.

Arizona is fast tracking Reid so it can move as quickly as possible. One league source said he was “95 percent” certain Reid will wind up coaching the Cardinals.

The Cardinals formally interviewed defensive coordinator Ray Horton on Tuesday, one day after Ken Whisenhunt was fired following six seasons as the team’s coach.

Cardinals president Michael Bidwill also plans to fly to Denver over the weekend to interview Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy.

Reid has spent recent days assembling a coaching staff, telling potential assistants that an announcement could come quickly, according to one assistant. After his run of 14 seasons in Philadelphia ended Monday, Reid appeared set on coaching again next season.

Arizona would be appealing to Reid and his family on a number of levels, none more so than his wife Tammy is from the Phoenix area and it would bring them closer to family.

In Arizona, Reid also could try to help salvage the career of former Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb, who has struggled since signing a lucrative five-year deal with the Cardinals following a trade from Philadelphia in 2011.

In a perfect world, Arizona would get to hire Reid and his offensive staff and match it with Horton and the defensive staff, giving the Cardinals a winning one-two coaching combination.

Kolb, who threw 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in four seasons with Philadelphia, remains under contract with Arizona, but the team is expected to want to restructure his contract. He is set to make $9 million plus a $2 million roster bonus for the coming season.

“I’m not ready to give up on Kevin Kolb yet,” Bidwill said Monday.

Bidwill has to interview McCoy this weekend in Denver under NFL rules that provide a narrow window for such meetings with members of coaching staffs whose teams have a bye the first round of the playoffs. McCoy also has an interview scheduled with the Browns.

Larry Fitzgerald, who had one of his worst seasons as the Cardinals struggled at the quarterback position, weighed in on the firing of Whisenhunt and general manager Rod Graves. In a lengthy tweet, Fitzgerald thanked the pair for giving him the opportunity to “live my dream in the NFL.”

“We all shoulder the blame for a disappointing season which began with such promise,” Fitzgerald wrote.

He said that “even in the midst of a tumultuous season, it was still a pleasure to work for the staff we served under, and for that we remain grateful.”

“Their professionalism will provide for renewed accomplishments in different environs,” Fitzgerald wrote. “We all, to a man, thank them and wish them the best.”

Whisenhunt set the record for victories by a Cardinals coach, going 45-51 in six seasons, 4-2 in the playoffs. The team got off to a 4-0 start but lost 11 of 12 to finish 5-11 for the second time in three seasons.

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