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Bruce Arians: No plans to step down as Cardinals coach after season

NFL, Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said his focus is on this week, not on a report that this will be his final season with the team.

ABC15 in Arizona reported that the 65-year-old coach has told those close to him that he plans to step down at the end of the season.

However, Arians refuted that report in a text message to ESPN's Ian Fitzsimmons.

"I don't know who put that out there," Arians told Fitzsimmons. "But that's something I never think about until the end of the season. I'm just focused on being 1-0 this week."

Arians also took to Twitter to say he's not thinking about life after coaching.

In July, Arians said he'd like to at least finish out his contract, which runs through 2018. His contract also includes a team option for the 2019 season.

Arians, who is in his fifth season with the Cardinals, has battled health scares in recent years.

In February, Arians had surgery to remove a cancerous piece of his kidney. He was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma on Dec. 15, three days before Arizona hosted the New Orleans Saints in its home finale, after a cancerous spot was detected on his kidney during a doctor's visit earlier in the week. Arians said the diagnosis didn't affect the rest of his season.

Arians was hospitalized in August 2016 in San Diego with symptoms of diverticulitis during a joint training camp practice with the Chargers. In November of that same year, he was rushed to the hospital with chest pains to be evaluated but was later released.

The Cardinals (3-4) are on a bye this week, but look to bounce back from Sunday's loss when they hit the road to take on the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 5.

Arizona has an uphill road ahead of it to return to the postseason for the first time since 2015 as quarterback Carson Palmer is out with a broken left arm, and seven of the Cardinals' remaining nine games are against teams at .500 or above.

Information from ESPN's Josh Weinfuss contributed to this report.

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