Bruce Arians: Report that I've agreed to leave Cardinals is a 'fake news story'

Cardinals coach maintains he hasn't made up his mind about 2018

By Sean Wagner-McGough

Dec 26, 2017 at 3:50 pm ET • 2 min read

Bruce Arians' future in Arizona has been repeatedly questioned as the Cardinals stumble toward a second straight playoff-less season, and Arians has seemingly had enough with the rumors and reports that 2017 will be his final year with the Cardinals.

After a report claimed that Arians and the Cardinals were going to part ways after the season, Arians on Tuesday called the report a "fake news story." And it sounds like he's awfully tired of answering the same questions over and over again.

"If you want to ask me about this fake news story that has come up -- I'm quoting the president now -- nothing's changed," Arians said, per ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. "I don't know where all that sh--'s came from. Nothing's changed in the last month, and everybody keeps asking the same question."

Arians isn't wrong. The question does keeping popping up. Back in October, he had to refute another report that claimed he will retire after the season.

But none of this means Arians won't leave Arizona after the season. Arians isn't saying he's coming back for another year, he's only saying that he hasn't decided on his future yet. And that's why the Cardinals should be preparing for life after Arians. There's still a chance that he will walk away in January.

Earlier this month, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported that the Cardinals' front office is preparing for his departure:

The Arizona Cardinals front office is preparing in case head coach Bruce Arians opts to retire at the end of the season, league sources said, something many of his peers believed was imminent at this time last year. Arians has not told the team he is retiring, but given his battles with cancer and his health scares in recent years, the team has discussed some contingencies in the event a coaching search is required.
Many close to Arians do not believe he will be back on the sidelines for 2018; he has denied the notion in the past and given no outward indication he is considering that now, but it's something team officials have discussed. As upwards of 10 teams will be looking for new coaches in January, there is a limited pool of top candidates, and teams cannot afford to be caught unprepared.

The Cardinals find themselves in a strange situation. They've got themselves a superstar in David Johnson, who missed nearly the entire season, an aging injured quarterback in Carson Palmer, who has weighed retirement in the past, and the ageless Larry Fitzgerald, who also hasn't decided on his future. Despite their injuries, the Cardinal are 7-8. But they're also stuck in the same division as the young and suddenly dominant Rams, the always strong Seahawks, and a 49ers team that has finally found a franchise savior in Jimmy Garoppolo.