Michael Bidwill continues to have faith in Kliff…

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Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury survived another disappointing finish after outside speculation the team might seek a change. Kingsbury has one year left on his contract with a fifth-year team option, so he obviously enters 2022 on the hot seat.

Owner Michael Bidwill used the term “bright future” several times during an interview with Arizona Sports 98.7 on Friday, including as it relates to Kingsbury.

“I look at the college coaches who have made the transition from college to the pros and the ones that are successful, and Kliff is,” Bidwill said, via Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports 98.7. “I feel like he’s had an adjustment period, had a few years to adjust and I feel like he’s going to get better and better because I feel like he understands the pro rules and the pro game and the pro speed and everything else much better than he did a couple of years ago.

“I think it’s very good. The conversations have continued to go on in the offseason and the last few weeks . . . and we’ve got a bright future together. Kliff, Kyler (Murray), Steve (Keim), all of us have to make great contributions as we go forward. I know they have a great relationship.”

The Cardinals were one of the best teams, if not the best team, in the NFL with a 7-0 start. But Kingsbury’s team did what Kingsbury’s teams have been prone to do. They finished with a thud.

The Cardinals finished 4-6 and then lost to the Rams in an ugly, non-competitive wild-card game.

Kingsbury’s teams are 42-20-1 in the first seven games of the season, dating to his first year at Texas Tech in 2013. But Kingsbury’s teams have finished 17-45 from Week 8 on.

Bidwill blamed this year’s collapse on injuries to All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins and Murray. Hopkins played only 10 games, with his season ending in Week 14 with a torn MCL. Murray missed three games while rehabbing an ankle injury and didn’t play as well upon his return in Week 13.

“I think it’s a combination of things, certainly (Hopkins’) impact on the field and off the field is huge and losing him from not only a football Xs and Os standpoint but also from an emotional standpoint was big,” Bidwill said. “Kyler got injured for three games. He certainly — before the injury — was playing at the top of his game and then he came back. I think having a healthy Kyler Murray is always better than Kyler coming off of an injury.

“This team has a bright future and I’m excited about it, especially knowing those guys are coming back 100 percent.”