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Sean Kugler Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

'Hard Knocks' continue for Cardinals after Mexico City incident

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 11/22/22

The Arizona Cardinals' business trip to Mexico City went from bad to worse when the team announced it fired offensive line coach and run game coordinator Sean Kugler before Monday's game against San Francisco, per the Arizona Republic's Bob McManaman.

Despite there being footage of the incident via "Hard Knocks" filmmakers, it doesn't appear as though we'll receive clarity anytime soon.

Check that. The incident occurred Sunday night in Mexico City, not Saturday night, per source. https://t.co/EZmXhvdPuj
— Bob McManaman (@azbobbymac) November 22, 2022

Arizona (4-7) dropped three games back in the loss column of first-place San Francisco and Seattle (both 6-4) with its 38-10 loss. Kugler was fired following an incident Sunday night in Mexico City, and no further clarification was given.

The Cardinals are the focus of an in-season production of HBO's "Hard Knocks" franchise, and reports surfaced following Kugler's firing that producers are "scrubbing" footage of the incident from the show.

Cardinals have released OL coach & run game coordinator Sean Kugler following an incident from Saturday night in Mexico City.

Events of the incident are now being scrubbed from all Hard Knocks video footage.
— Chuck Harris (@chuckh3) November 22, 2022

His firing is the most recent struggle for a team that's dealt with off-the-field issues the entire season.

With the firing of Sean Kugler, this makes the second position coach that has departed from the team this season.

The Arizona Cardinals had previously put RB coach James Saxon on Administrative Leave following domestic battery charges.
— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) November 22, 2022

Running backs coach James Saxon was put on leave following domestic battery charges in August 2022, and he parted with the team following a one-year suspended jail sentence.

The team also cut RB Eno Benjamin last week without explanation. The events surrounding Benjamin's release remain on the cutting room floor of this season's "Hard Knocks" alongside Kugler's incident.

HBO's Hard Knocks did not mention or show the Eno Benjamin situation tonight, so ... we're left to wonder exactly what happened. There was a confrontation with an assistant coach, according to reports, and now he's gone, picked up off waivers by Houston.
— Bob McManaman (@azbobbymac) November 17, 2022

An update on HBO and NFL Films' "Hard Knocks - In Season with the Arizona Cardinals: There will be no scenes in this week's episode documenting RB Eno Benjamin's release.
— Bob McManaman (@azbobbymac) November 21, 2022

Of all the misguided plans NFL teams made this season — Denver and Indianapolis going all in on Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan, respectively, New Orleans believing in Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton — none look as bad as the Cardinals thinking filming this train wreck of a season would be a good idea.

The Arizona Cardinals willingly signed up for HBO's "Hard Knocks" in an effort to give insight into their team culture.

Not great in retrospect.
— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) November 22, 2022

The Benjamin situation in particular is bizarre, with "Hard Knocks" director Steve Trout hinting at "shocking" coverage of the incident but then backtracking days later while saying, "We simply did not capture anything."

HBO Hard Knocks director teases 'shocking' Eno Benjamin coverage on next Cardinals episode https://t.co/HKWsaiEWER via @azcentral
— Bob McManaman (@azbobbymac) November 17, 2022

According to director Steve Trout, it wasn't because of anyone censuring a scene or scenes. "We simply did not capture anything," Trout said. "... Some things do happen away from the cameras and that was the case here."
— Bob McManaman (@azbobbymac) November 21, 2022

Arizona doesn't appear to want viewers to see the worst parts of its season to forget. If that's the case, there won't be a show at all.

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