
What kind of developmental growth will the Cardinals see this season from their players?
One thing that sticks in my craw every year is seeing fans be so quick to believe that the coaches must know what they are doing when players get benched or cut.
As a teacher and coach, for right or for wrong, whenever a student or player of mine failed, I blamed myself for not finding and pushing the right buttons in order to get the maximum results. for their sake and the sake of the team. I believe there always is a way to encourage and motivate someone and that the greatest challenge of teaching and coaching is finding those ways.
I can distinctly remember at time at Foxborough High School when I was assigned to mentor a young teacher. His name was Mike. Bright guy. Handsome. Potentially charismatic. When I sat in on one of Mike’s classes, he had a good lesson plan, which he followed fairly well —- but I was hoping to see him be a little more engaged with the students. Mike seemed to talk at the students, rather than with them.
When I tried to encourage him to be a better, more engaged listener for the students, Mike when into an immediate rant about how spoiled and lazy the students are and how his parents would kick his ass if he ever came to class unprepared or missed doing an assignment.
When I responded by asking him whether he expects the vast majority of his students to be ideal types of learners and academic achievers —- Mike said, “well, yeah, why not?”
Thus, when I asked him whether he likes the challenge of motivating and inspiring the more resistant and reluctant students, Mike said, “it shouldn’t have to be my job to motivate them.”
Therefore, I said to Mike, “well then, you are NFL for teaching.”
“What?” Mike asked.
“Not For Long.”
This angered Mike, so I thought and hoped that maybe he would amend his pedagogy.
Instead, Mike got a second job working nights as bartender in the attempt to save some money for law school.
Mike was one-and-done as a teacher.
How coaches effectively engage with players and how they specifically prepare and instill confidence in them is paramount to the players’ success.
When Steve Wilks was hired as the Cardinals’ head coach, it was very clear at his opening press conference that Michael Bidwill and Steve Keim had given him the challenge of motivating “players with different personalities” as a priority.
When Wilks used that term of “players with different personalities,” two of the Cardinals’ recent 1st round draft picks came to mind: T D.J. Humphries and DT Robert Nkemdiche, both of whom, from the very moment they stepped on to the Cardinals’ practice field as rookies were given the name tags of “Knee Deep” and “No Pro” by Bruce Arians and his coaching staff.
During his first few weeks as a head coach, Steve Wilks was ridiculed by a host of Cardinals’ fans for choosing to provide the players with visual symbols such as bricks and hurdles. As a teacher I knew exactly why Steve Wilks did this. So many young people today are visual learners, particularly when it comes to teamwork. I thought it was a commendable gesture.
While the team struggled particularly on offense during Steve Wilks’ one and only season as the Cardinals’ head coach, the way in which he tried to help D.J. Humphries and Robert Nkemdiche find a new sense of purpose and confidence was, imo, laudable.
In D.J.’s 9 games that season, he earned high 60’s to low 70s game grades in 6 of them. He only committed 2 penalties, and this was on a makeshift offensive line that for the most part was struggling. Sadly, in week 10, D.J. suffered a season-ending ACL tear. But this was the first time in his 4-year career to that date that he had turned in consistently strong play for a span of 9 games. The ACL rehab set him back a little physically, but his new-found confidence helped pave the way for him to play his best football in future years.
As for Robert Nkemdiche, his stellar 3-sack of Philip Rivers performance at San Diego was his NFL magnum opus. In 10 games in 2018, Diche recorded 36 tackles (missing only 1 in 37 chances, for a PFF tackling grade of 76.7), a forced fumble and 4 1/2 sacks (2nd best on team behind Chandler Jones). Yet, just as Diche was finally peaking, he suffered a torn ACL against the Lions. Sadly, he played only 246 more snaps (MIA and SEA) in the NFL after that. At least, with the help he received from Steve Wilks, Robert Nkemdiche was able to paint a signature Rembrandt before his career was over.
It should be noted as well that Patrick Peterson had the 2nd best season (82.5) of his career under Steve Wilks. Pat P’s best season (83.4) having come three years earlier in 2015. Under Wilks in 2018, Peterson cut his number of penalties to 3, down from the 11 he incurred in 2015.
2025 Arizona Cardinals’ Teaching Assignments
Jonathan Gannon, Drew Petzing, Nick Rallis and Jeff Rodgers have iterated how much they pride themselves as teachers.
Over the past two seasons, they have done a commendable job of developing the likes of Trey McBride, Paris Johnson Jr., Hjalte Froholdt, James Conner, Emari Demercado, Elijah Higgins, Budda Baker, Garrett Williams, Dante Stills, Dennis Gardeck, Starling Thomas V, Greg Dortch (punt returner), DeeJay Dallas (kickoff returner), Joey Blount (STs ace), Blake Gillikin and Chad Ryland.
This season should very much depend on how well the coaches can get much more than they have already out of their veteran UFA signees and out of their draft picks:
- QB Clayton Tune
- RB Trey Benson
- WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
- WR Michael Wilson
- WR Tejhuan Palmer
- TE Tip Reiman
- G Isaiah Adams
- G/C Jon Gaines II
- T Christian Jones
- DE Darius Robinson
- ED B.J. Ojulari
- ED Xavier Thomas
- ILB Owen Pappoe
- CB Max Melton
- CB Elijah Jones
- CB Kei’Trel Clark
- CB Jaden Davis
- S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson
There is a trove of young talent here. Big-time jumps could be manifested by quite a few of these young ballers, provided the coaches teach and develop them properly.
I hope that this year —- if and when younger players outplay the veterans in front of them —- the coaches go with the players who are performing the best.
“Education is not the filling of a pot but the lighting of a fire.” William Butler Yeats