Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury returns to Foxborough to coach against the team that gave him a Super Bowl ring in 2003. (AP photo)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — When Kliff Kingsbury began coaching at Texas Tech in 2012, he used to carry a secret weapon on recruiting trips: his Patriots 2003 Super Bowl ring.

“That was something I tried to seal the deal with. It didn’t work as much as I would have liked but I definitely tried with the ring,” Kingsbury said this week.

Kingsbury, a quarterback, was drafted by New England in the sixth round in 2003, joining a roster that included a 26-year-old Tom Brady. Even then, Kingsbury knew there was something different about him.

“He was still the man, there’s no doubt. Everybody knew who he was, and he was a superstar,” Kingsbury recalled.

An arm injury and yearlong stay on injured reserve prevented Kingsbury from ever playing a regular-season snap at quarterback for the Patriots, and he was cut prior to the 2004 campaign. But Kingsbury says he owes his coaching career to the year he spent studying under coach Bill Belichick and his staff.

That season allowed him the opportunity to work in an offensive quality control role under then-offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and current offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was a defensive assistant at the time.

“There were a bunch of really good offensive coaches that I was fortunate enough to be around,” Kingsbury said. “I did a little bit of everything. It taught me how to break down games, and game plan, and all stuff that I still use today.”

Belichick recalls Kingsbury being a fast learner.

“He was not a guy you had to tell anything more than once, and he picked up a lot of things on his own,” Belichick said.

Now Kingsbury will try to use those tools against his former team when he leads the Arizona Cardinals (6-4) into Sunday’s matchup with the Patriots (4-6). With a win the Cardinals can improve their chances of making it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015. They can also add yet another blow to New England’s fading hopes of extending its streak of 11 consecutive postseason berths.

Arizona won’t have one of its best weapons this week. Star receiver Larry Fitzgerald was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday along with receiver Trent Sherfield. The 37-year-old Fitzgerald is in his 17th NFL season and hasn’t missed a regular-season game since 2014.

But even without Fitzgerald, Belichick says the Cardinals’ big-play ability remains strong.

“Kliff does a good job with the offense of getting the ball into space, getting the ball to receivers – or whether it be backs, tight ends or receivers – but getting the ball to somebody in space where they have an opportunity to make big plays. I think they probably make as many as anybody,” he said.

PATRIOTS MAKE MOVES

The Patriots placed starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn on injured reserve with a bad knee. Nose tackle Carl Davis (concussion) and running back Rex Burkhead (knee) were also placed on IR.

Meanwhile, the team activated three players: wide receiver Donte Moncreif and defensive lineman Akeem Spence from the practice squad, and defensive lineman Justin Herron from injured reserve. Moncreif actually played in last week’s game at Houston and caught a pass for 15 yards, but was then returned to the practice squad. Now he’s back.

(Telegraph staff writer Tom King contributed to this report.)