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Report: Cardinals fired assistant coach for groping woman
Sean Kugler. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals reportedly fired assistant coach for groping woman

There's more information on the Arizona Cardinals firing offensive line coach and run game coordinator Sean Kugler before they lost to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. 

ESPN's Josh Weinfuss reported Wednesday morning that sources said Kugler was relieved of his duties after he allegedly groped a woman in Mexico City on Sunday night. The Cardinals arrived in Mexico City on Saturday ahead of Monday's primetime game versus the 49ers held at Estadio Azteca that Arizona lost 38-10 to fall to 4-7 in what's become a disappointing season. 

According to Grant Gordon of the NFL's website, Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury would only confirm on Tuesday that the club sent Kugler home Monday morning prior to the San Francisco contest. Weinfuss said Mexican authorities were told of the groping accusation and informed the Cardinals about what had occurred. 

"It's challenging anytime you make a staff change in that type of manner," Kingsbury added at that time. 

"Amazingly, the development was kept under wraps, even with ESPN employees preparing to televise the game and an NFL Films crew embedded with the Cardinals for the in-season 'Hard Knocks' series," Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio wrote. "It’s the kind of information that should have been shared. It’s the kind of information that, if obtained by those with betting interests, could have influenced last-minute wagering decisions."

It was reported in August that then-Cardinals running backs coach James Saxon had been arrested in May stemming from an alleged incident involving a woman being assaulted in her Indianapolis home. 

Earlier this month, Weinfuss mentioned that Saxon pled guilty to one count of domestic battery and ultimately received a one-year suspended sentence and also a year of probation. 

Saxon was put on administrative leave by the Cardinals when news of his arrest went public in August, and he reportedly resigned in October.

Coming off Monday's NFL action, the Cardinals sit beneath the 6-4 49ers and 6-4 Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West standings. Arizona hosts the 5-5 Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday and then goes on its bye week. 

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