Wilks focused on QB as he takes reins of Cardinals

Steve Wilks didn't take long to address what he labeled as the "elephant in the room" on Tuesday as he was introduced as the 38th head coach in the history of Arizona Cardinals.

Wilks, who is beginning his first NFL head coaching assignment, takes over a team without a quarterback on the roster that is signed through 2018. Carson Palmer announced his retirement earlier in the offseason after Arizona finished with an 8-8 mark.

"There's a question mark right now and we all know, it's the elephant in the room -- we don't have a quarterback," Wilks said.

"(General manager) Steve (Keim) and I have addressed that issue and we sat down with (president Michael Bidwell) as well already and we're going to have an active and aggressive plan in free agency and see what's gonna happen in the draft."

The 48-year-old Wilks also noted that he had "in-depth conversation" with Larry Fitzgerald, although the veteran wide receiver didn't reveal if he's playing in the 2018 season.

Although he talked about the offense, Wilks served as the Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator the last two seasons. He replaces Bruce Arians, who retired after spending five seasons as head coach of the Cardinals.

"We found a great leader. And not just a leader with a high football IQ but also a high football EQ," Bidwell said before introducing Wilks. "He just doesn't coach football players, he coaches people. And when I saw EQ, I'm talking about an emotional quotient. Somebody's who's really got that sense of where the players are.

"That's a unique skill that Steve Wilks has."

Both Bidwell and Wilks mentioned accountability as an integral factor in a team's success, and Wilks' defensive mindset showed in one promise to the assembled media.

"When other teams watch us play, we're going to play with more physicality and effort than any other team out there," said Wilks.

The 48-year-old Wilks was promoted to defensive coordinator in Carolina after the 2016 season, and his defense was seventh in the league in yards allowed while finishing third in sacks this past season. Previously, he was the Panthers' secondary coach for five seasons.

"I'm fired up for Steve," Carolina coach Ron Rivera said. "Steve and I have been fortunate to work together at three different stops, and at all three stops we've had a tremendous amount of success, and Steve's been a big part of the success we've had. I believe he's going to do the same thing in Arizona because of the type of person he is. High character, high moral values, tremendous football person, and a great leader.

"I think Steve will fit very nicely into their culture. I think he'll help build this team into a perennial winner. He'll outline what his philosophies and beliefs are and more importantly he'll share with everybody what his ultimate goal is."

Before joining Carolina, Wilks was the secondary coach for the San Diego Chargers for three seasons and the defensive backs coach for the Chicago Bears for three years.

"Coach Wilks was meant to be a head coach," former Chargers safety Eric Weddle said. "He is a leader of men, loyal and honest. One of the best coaches I've ever had and even a better man."

He was a coach at the college level for 11 seasons before jumping to the NFL, including going 5-6 as the head coach at Savannah State in 1999.