Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks had a lot to say about his former employer in a recent deposition – and his former bosses could be in serious trouble if his accusations are true.
According to a recent deposition obtained by ESPN, Wilks recently testified that he was given a burner phone to communicate with former general manager Steve Keim under orders from Keim and team owner Michael Bidwill during Keim’s suspension in 2018 for a drunk driving arrest. He also alleges that top executives on the team continued communicating with Keim
“It was a directive from Keim as well as Bidwill,” Wilks said in the deposition. “They both knew.”
Wilks said that the situation made him uncomfortable at the time, but he obliged because he had worked so hard to get the opportunity in the first place.
“With me being a first-year head coach, I felt uncomfortable from the beginning that I worked this hard to get to this plateau and this opportunity, and then I was presented with this situation with being unethical,” Wilks testified.
Former AZ Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks testified that a team exec gave him a burner phone to communicate with former GM Steve Keim under orders from Keim & team owner Michael Bidwill during Keim’s suspension, according to a deposition obtained by ESPN. https://t.co/fzoGNIP8H1
— Tisha Thompson (@TishaESPN) August 30, 2023
The deposition comes amid an ongoing arbitration complaint from a former team executive that alleges gross misconduct by team owner Michael Bidwill, including discriminatory and racist treatment of employees in addition to the use of burner phones.
The Cardinals have vehemently denied all of the allegations against them.
But if Wilks’ allegations are proven true, the NFL is going to be furious with the Cardinals’ owner.
This could be a situation to watch in the weeks and months to come.