What We Learned at Cardinals Training Camp: Arizona Has a ‘Pretty Cool Running Back Room’

Coach Mike LaFleur says the team will go with the hot hand. Plus, Gilberto Manzano’s flight delay leads to a chance meeting with a celebrity before he gets down to business at camp.

No. 1 draft pick Jeremiyah Love is one of four running backs who could see significant playing time for Arizona this season. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

GLENDALE, Ariz. — I struggled to be a goldfish after learning that my flight to Phoenix on Sunday was delayed three hours, information that hit my email seconds after arriving at the airport. 

A friend once told me that a goldfish is the happiest animal on the planet because it has a 10-second memory. That friend also happens to be the star of Ted Lasso, the popular Apple TV show, where he introduced the goldfish advice in season one, episode two. 

Perhaps I’m getting a bit carried away with referring to Jason Sudeikis as a friend of mine, but we did take a selfie together at the airport and that has to count for something. 

Flight to Arizona delayed three hours but I met Jason Sudeikis at the airport.

I embarrassed myself by telling him I’m looking forward to Ted Lasso season 3. Didn’t realize the fourth season is out this week. I’m a season behind 😅 pic.twitter.com/K7OMQ7W6Kl

— Gilberto Manzano (@GManzano24) August 2, 2026

This encounter occurred not long after learning about my lengthy flight delay. Sudeikis, in his WNBA hoodie, pulled up next to me at the security checkpoint. I forgot to toss my phone in the bin because all I could think about was snapping a picture with the star of We’re The Millers, the highly underrated comedy film. After getting a scolding from the security person manning the walk-through metal detectors for having my phone on me, I chatted with Sudeikis for a bit and got my photo. 

There was no point in being upset about a flight delay, not when the most positive person on TV tells you safe travels and to have a good day. 

It all worked out, including during my training camp stop with the Cardinals on Sunday. A big thank you to the team’s communications staff for being flexible with my flight delay and still finding time for me to meet with coach Mike LaFleur and GM Monti Ossenfort. They made me feel like Trent Crimm, the fictional journalist from The Independent with plenty of access to Ted Lasso. 

Alright, I’ll stop name-dropping and share what I learned from my conversations with LaFleur and Ossenfort, along with some observations from Sunday’s practice. 

LaFleur to ride hot hand in crowded backfield 

There’s been plenty made about LaFleur incorporating a lot of what he learned from his three seasons as Sean McVay’s offensive coordinator with the Rams, including having 4 p.m. PT practices, which I’m thankful for because it allowed me to get to State Farm Stadium at a reasonable hour.

But LaFleur’s deep backfield, which consists of rookie Jeremiyah Love, free-agent addition Tyler Allgeier, veteran James Conner and third-year player Trey Benson, has him thinking about his 49ers of 2019 when he was the passing game coordinator. That season, San Francisco had a four-man committee with Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman and Jeff Wilson, a group that ranked second in total rushing yards and advanced to the Super Bowl.

While Love, the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft, will likely be the team’s starting running back, expect LaFleur to divvy up the carries similarly to how the 49ers did in that memorable season. But the rookie head coach also mentioned that he’s going to ride the hot hand. 

“I keep telling guys like, ‘I’m not going to apologize for having a pretty cool running back room’” LaFleur told Sports Illustrated. “I get asked, ‘How are you going to split those carries up?’ Well, that organically happens, and, unfortunately, injuries do happen in this game and in particular at that running back position. So, you think back to 2019 when I happened to be with San Francisco and we had four running backs who played a lot of football that year. 

“What we used to say in San Francisco, that has held true to me, is you don’t take the hot hand out.” 

The Cardinals might be crowded at running back. Still, LaFleur does have a track record of producing productive rushing attacks, including with the Rams’ tandem of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. 

Additionally, LaFleur bringing up his San Francisco days is a reminder that he’s been a part of many successful offenses en route to him landing the job with the Cardinals. It didn’t go the way he wanted it to as the Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2021 and ’22, but LaFleur said he learned plenty from watching Robert Saleh handle adversity in every facet of the team. He also mentioned his time with Dan Quinn in Atlanta being just as beneficial. And LaFleur reminded me that it’s been 10 years since he last worked on the same coaching staff with his older brother, Packers coach Matt LaFleur. (Both LaFleurs worked under Quinn in ’15 and ’16.)

The younger LaFleur might not be getting as many pointers from big bro these days, but he has soaked in all the experiences and learning lessons throughout his journey and is eager to show what he can do in the new role. 

Cardinals not starting from scratch 

Talking with Ossenfort on Sunday reminded me of my 2023 conversation with him when he was new to the job, and many expected the Cardinals to land the No. 1 pick in the draft. They did struggle that season, but were a lot more competitive than many expected and ended up with the No. 4 pick, which they used on wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. 

It might look like Arizona is going backward after Ossenfort fired Jonathan Gannon after three seasons and replaced him with LaFleur. However, there’s a strong core group in place, with left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., tight end Trey McBride, wide receiver Michael Wilson, Harrison and Love. There’s also young talent on defense, with defensive tackle Walter Nolen III and cornerback Will Johnson.  

With that kind of talent at critical positions, this team certainly isn’t starting from scratch, but they’re going to continue to be overlooked and probably struggle to win games until they land a true franchise quarterback. 

“We’re continuing to build that group,” Ossenfort said. “Our goal is to go out there and compete and win. We’re not focused on anything else, not next year, not putting ourselves in position for whatever … we’re here to win. We have a tough schedule, we have a tough division, and we got a challenge put out for us. I know these guys are up to the task.”

LaFleur had this to say about the outside noise tabbing them to land the No. 1 pick in April: “We’re not deaf. Guys hear what it is, but it shouldn’t consume anyone because it flat out doesn’t matter. What matters is taking care of today.”

Update on the quarterbacks 

Nice play here from rookie QB Carson Beck pic.twitter.com/9Z8kz9UOId

— Gilberto Manzano (@GManzano24) August 3, 2026

Donnie Druin, who does a nice job covering the Cardinals on the daily, joked that my visit to Arizona created a bizarro world. 

Jacoby Brissett hadn’t thrown an interception in training camp before getting picked off twice in Sunday’s practice. Additionally, rookie Carson Beck may have delivered his best performance of camp after having a rough first week. 

One good day of practice won’t shake up the depth chart because Brissett recently got a pay raise to be the everyday starter and Gardner Minshew II had a strong offseason while Brissett was away to control the backup role. Still, it’s a good sign that Beck, the third-round pick, is proving to be a quick learner.

“There is a juggling aspect to it,” LaFleur said about making sure all three quarterbacks get their reps. “We’ve had to adjust. I’d say our twos (second offense) and threes (third offense), particularly are threes, are getting more reps than I’m accustomed to for obvious reasons.”

That’s what happens when there isn’t a Matthew Stafford on the roster. 

One more thing I learned … 

Another note from my Sudeikis encounter because, clearly, I can’t stop talking about that. 

I embarrassed myself after telling my actor friend that I’m looking forward to watching the third season of Ted Lasso. But I later learned that I’m a season behind because the fourth season debuts on Wednesday. 

What a terrible fan I am, but I’ll have the mindset of a goldfish here. Already I’m being more positive because not once did I complain about it being 112 degrees in the Phoenix area on Sunday.

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