TEMPE — New Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur’s connections have been well documented at this point.
There’s the brotherly connection with Matt LaFleur and Green Bay. His ties to Sean McVay in Los Angeles and Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco have been big talking points.
Those influences will undoubtedly have an impact on how LaFleur goes about scheming up his offense, not to mention his head-coaching style.
They won’t, however, serve as exact carbon copies for the Cardinals offense.
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who LaFleur adamantly said was his first choice this hiring cycle during Wednesday’s press conference, will have a major role in molding Arizona’s offensive identity.
“We’re not going to be Green Bay. We’re not going to be the Rams. We’re not going to be the Niners. We’re going to be us and whatever us becomes.”
Mike LaFleur explains how he and OC Nathaniel Hackett are going to piece together the Cardinals offense. pic.twitter.com/80kV1tD6zr
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) February 18, 2026
“He’s been very successful. He’s very thought of, particularly within our profession. If you guys believe one thing from this press conference, it is literally I wanted him and nobody else and he’s here,” LaFleur said.
“We’re not going to be Green Bay, we’re not going to be the Rams, we’re not going to be the Niners, we’re going to be us. Whatever us becomes,” the head coach added. “And again, our foundations are very similar. We see the game very similar, but I’m excited to piece it together with him.”
While they have certainly crossed paths from a personal standpoint — Hackett and Matt LaFleur are awfully close from their time together in the NFL — this marks the first instance Mike LaFleur and Arizona’s new OC reside on the same coaching staff.
And boy do they have plenty of decisions to make on that side of the football.
Nathaniel Hackett, Mike LaFleur’s 1st tasks for Cardinals offense
Obviously, the quarterback situation stands out above the rest. Kyler Murray appears destined to continue his NFL career elsewhere after seven seasons and little to show for, especially recently.
There’s also an offensive line that needs reconstructed after taking multiple steps back in 2025. Running back is another area shrouded by the unknown with James Conner and Trey Benson coming off injury-riddled years.
Got to get more out of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in Year 3, too. There’s also working in Michael Wilson on a much more consistent basis, whether or not Harrison is on the field, after his emergence.
Tight end Trey McBride also needs to get his coming off a record-setting season.
For Hackett, building up Arizona’s offense the way he and LaFleur see fit starts with a foundation centered around three Es.
Nathaniel Hackett’s three Es for the Cardinals offense:
✅ Explosives
✅ Efficiency
✅ Evolve pic.twitter.com/yOD3B2FEY5
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) February 18, 2026
“Got to love explosives. That’s why the fans get in the stands,” Hackett said. “I think we’re always looking for that, but there’s also a sense of efficiency. Everything you do within a foundation of a system is to be able to find your efficiency and what those guys can hang their hat on.
“I think that whatever it is for us, you have to be able to evolve because the players change a lot in this league. I mean, we’ve seen especially the past couple years, whether it be an injury or something happened, there are so many changes. For us, it’s about flexibility to find that foundation for the players that we have within our system and then to be able to find those explosives because again, that’s what those the people want.”
Either way, a lot needs to change for a Cardinals offense that was 23rd in points scored (20.9) and 31st in rushing yards (93.1) per game.
And while LaFleur knows how to operate an offense from the sideline, he also hasn’t called plays on a consistent basis since his time in New York (2021-22).
On top of his head-coaching responsibilities, there’s going to be growing pains for LaFleur as he tries to get the Cardinals train back on track in Year 1.
The hope is Hackett, who has been in LaFleur’s shoes before and faced plenty of adversity in his lone year as the Denver Broncos head coach in 2022, can help fill in the blanks along the way while also learning from mistakes.
“For me, it’s the ability to help other coaches, help players, help Mike, be a service to all them and to be able to help them be the best version of themselves,” the OC said. “I think that’s what we all want to do as coaches. We want to teach coaches, we want to teach players. In the end, that’s what we are. And through all the experiences that I’ve had, up and down, I think that most things that you grow from are some of those adversities.
“As long as you get something from it, it’s so key and to be able to pass that knowledge on to Mike to help him maybe not do some of the things I’ve done and do some of the things I’ve done. You get to just continually learn and grow and I think as human beings, all of us are like that. We all want to grow. We all want to get better and that’s what I want to be here for Mike and everybody.”