Dive Brief:

• The Arizona Cardinals have fired their CFO as part of a senior management shakeup, ESPN reported on Thursday.

• Greg Lee, who had served as the football club’s finance chief for nearly 15 years, was one of three top executives who were fired, according to the report, which cited unnamed sources. Cardinals spokesperson Mark Dalton didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment via LinkedIn.

• The Cardinals also terminated the employment of Mike Iaquinta, vice president of business development, and Tim Delaney, vice president of digital content, the report said.

Dive Insight:

The franchise is in the midst of a broader restructuring of its business operations, led by chief operating officer Wesley Walls, who was hired by Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill last August, according to an Associated Press report. Less than 10 people were dismissed in the restructuring, but 40 positions were added, it said.

In an internal email this week, Walls said the Cardinals have made "important changes and updates" over the past year after studying the organization and identifying ways to "modernize our approach, strengthen our culture, invest in our people and provide clarity for the future,” according to ESPN.

Most of the team's business operations recently moved to a new 30,000-square-foot office down the street from the team's practice facility in Tempe, Arizona, AP reported. The space houses the team's non-football personnel, including finance, marketing and other departments, it said.

The changes come in the wake of reports of a toxic workplace culture at the franchise, with much of the blame reportedly laid at the feet of Bidwill.

The National Football League Players Association has ranked the Cardinals second to last among the 32 NFL clubs based on a workplace conditions survey.

The Cardinals team has also struggled on the field in recent years.

In early 2023, Jonathan Gannon was named the team’s new head coach, replacing Kliff Kingsbury, who was fired after a tumultuous season that ended with only four wins in 13 games.

The team continued to struggle under its new coach during much of 2023, although they ended the year on a high note with an unexpected win against the Philadelphia Eagles. Earlier this month, they wrapped up their 2023-2024 season with another 4-13 record following a loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

According to Sports Illustrated, the team has never won a Super Bowl but did win the 1947 NFL championship, giving them the longest championship drought in all North American Sports at 76 years.

In August, Forbes listed the Cardinals as the 29th most valuable franchise in the NFL, worth $3.8 billion.