Could Grimm get his first HC shot with the Panthers in 2011?

[sportscurmudgeon]

In no way is the collapse of the Cardinals offense the fault of Russ Grimm. That is the objective truth.

Hiring decisions for coaches are "not always" based on objective truth or even rational facts. (See events surrounding the hiring of Jim Zorn for an example here.)

When offensive coodinators or defensive coordinators get their first head coaching jobs, they USUALLY come from teams that have been successful in the year prior to their hiring. (That statement does not include the situation where a team stinks, fires its coach, puts in one of its coordinators who does sufficiently well to get the job despite the fact that the team stunk the year before.)

The fact is that the Cardinals are a bad team this year. At the moment they are 3-8; looking at their schedule, they will be fortunate to finish 5-11; they might completely go in the tank and finish 3-13. The Cardinals' offense does not put the Fear of God into any of the league's defensive coordinators this season. That too is a fact...

And so, when the NFL game of Coaching Musical Chairs begins, Russ Grimm will be handicapped by those situations. I don't think it will make him "unhirable" but it will make the job of selling himself to an NFL owner/GM a bit tougher than it would be if the Cards team and offense were very good.

Look around the league at the other teams that are 3-8 (or close to 3-8). How many of their coordinators do you think will be "hot candidates" for the open coaching positions come January 2011? Forget whether or not it is fair, Russ Grimm gets lumped into that category of coaches as of December 2010 - - because that is where his team finds itself.

If Bill Cowher takes the Carolina job, I would not be shocked to see Grimm leave Arizona and head to Carolina. I've been told that by more than one little birdie...