Wherever the journey of Jordan Hicks heads, and whatever the veteran linebacker has gone though, I thought something he said about coach Kliff Kingsbury was illuminating -- especially for a guy who, for a while, thought he had lost his job without a chance to compete.

In such circumstances, it'd be easy for the relationship and communication to fray between a coach and player. But Hicks made clear it did not.

"Me and Kliff, we've gotten a lot closer, especially going through everything this past offseason," Hicks said. "Being able to talk stuff out, him calming me down sometimes. He's been really good for me thought that whole process."

"It's been a pleasure working for him, working with him, he's a great coach. Love being around him, his intensity, his ability to lead. I've had nothing but an awesome experience with him."

Hicks' endorsement of Kingsbury, especially as a leader, is notable at a time when the Cardinals struggled down the stretch. It says something, once again, about Hicks' professional ability to rise above a frustrating situation. But it also speaks to a Kingsbury strength of being able to relate to the players -- something that has been brought up by players the duration of Kingsbury's tenure.