The Arizona Cardinals fired their head coach Kliff Kingsbury on Monday, 10 months after they signed a contract extension until 2027. The team's general manager Steve Keim stepped down as well.

"We have announced that coach Kliff Kingsbury has been relieved of his duties," the Cardinals said in a statement on Monday. "In addition, General Manager Steve Keim has decided to step away from his position in order to focus on his health. The team wishes them well and thanks both of them for their contributions."

Keim has been on a health-related leave of absence since mid-December 2022. He, too, had signed an extension until 2027 last year.

The owner of the Cardinals, Michael Bidwill, praised Kingsbury at the press conference on Monday. 

"I have been around this organization my entire life, and I don't know any coach that has worked harder than Kliff Kingsbury," Bidwill said, citing "just time for a change" as his reason to sack Kingsbury.

"It was pretty crazy with everything on and off the field," defensive lineman Zach Allen said on Monday. "Hopefully we can clean all that up. There have definitely been too many distractions."

"I want to play good football and turn this thing around. That's what I want to do," running back James Conner said.

"Good football" is not how anyone would describe the Cardinals' performance during the 2022 NFL regular season. The team were 4-13 and ranked bottom in the National Football Conference West, missing the playoffs. Their starting quarterback Kyler Murray, who signed a five-year, $230.5 million extension during the offseason, only played 11 games this season because of injuries. The only positive of their disappointing performance was that they received the third-overall pick in the NFL Draft in April.

Bidwill didn't name any candidate for head coach or general manager.