Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur speaks to the media in his introductory presser.
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The Cardinals appear to be zeroing in on their next defensive coordinator to pair with new head coach Mike LaFleur, who will call the offense.
The Arizona Cardinals are excited about the hiring of new coach Mike LaFleur, who brings a lot of promise. Following a 3-14 season, it is very much welcomed.
LaFleur worked under successful head coaches Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, and is thought to be one of the next great offensive minds in football.
While those in Arizona believe they just got one of the next great offensive coaches, the rest of the league doesn’t share that sentiment.
The Athletic did a poll asking NFL coaches and execs to rank the ten different coaching hires this hiring cycle. The Cardinals’ hire of LaFleur tied for last in this poll with Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken.
Why Is LaFleur at the Bottom for the Arizona Cardinals?
This is surprising given the optimism surrounding the hire and the overall trend of hiring young offensive minds.
But it’s more about the fit than the actual hire.
“This isn’t a comment on the coach. It’s a comment on the match, the fit within the organization to be able to execute what they’re trying to do,” a team executive told The Athletic. “These guys are all really good coaches. Do they have the resources? Does it fit with the personnel side? All that stuff is probably more important than whether he can coach.”
Still, tying with Monken is not exactly inspiring to Cardinals fans.
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe had this to say on the two new coaches in the bottom tier:
“There’s just too much unknown with Monken, LaFleur and their respective organizations,” Howe wrote. “Both are first-time, offensive-minded NFL head coaches coming from successful teams, and they’re joining two franchises that are perpetually rebuilding.
“Without enough of a track record for the coaches and the organizations’ instability, it’s understandable why our panel took a wait-and-see approach with these hires.”
Is Howe Right About the Cardinals?
If LaFleur is such a good coach, then what’s the issue?
The Cardinals are.
Following their last season with Jonathan Gannon, this opening was viewed as the worst in the hiring cycle by many.
From appearing in just one playoff game over the last 10 seasons to their overall futility since becoming an organization, the Cardinals have been one of the NFL’s punchlines for years.
This current roster construction gives little hope either. The Cardinals have been rebuilding constantly since their last playoff win in 2015. They had a glimmer of hope in 2021, but the last few years have been painful for Cardinals fans.
Watching the inconsistency and injuries to the team, and more importantly, to quarterback Kyler Murray, has been excruciating for fans of the team.
Now, the former No. 1 overall pick is at a crossroads. With the team more likely than not to move on from Murray, this leaves LaFleur in an awkward position.
With no clear succession plan at the most important position in football, it’s no wonder that this was the worst opening in the cycle.
Because of this, LaFleur and general manager Monti Ossenfort must be in sync with each other in order to right the ship and prove to the league that this was the right hire. It may not be a huge one-year turnaround like some first-year coaches in 2025, but in the long-run it could be the right hire.