3 Instant Reactions to Cardinals Naming Mike LaFleur Head Coach

The Arizona Cardinals did great in their hire for Mike LaFleur.

Aug 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur reacts against the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals have found their next head coach in Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. It's exactly the splashy offensive hire that fans were hoping for, including name recognition and the next in line from the prestigious Sean McVay coaching tree.

After a failed stint by defensive-minded head coach Jonathan Gannon, a move back to an offensive-minded head coach is a welcome change for fans.

With the hire now in play, here's three quick thoughts that popped into my mind right off the bat:

Cardinals making the right decision to hire an offensive-minded coach

Sep 28, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams cornerback Cobie Durant (14) and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as they get ready for the game against the Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Cardinals are going back to the well for an offensive-minded head coach, and it's the right move for several reasons. We can start with the obvious: Arizona's offense has been inept for quite some time now. Injuries have done anything but help the situation, but even a healthy unit has struggled to score points or even keep up with opponents.

By hiring LaFleur, the Cardinals are acknowledging this issue as perhaps their biggest weakness. It's a great investment for the team to make, especially in a loaded NFC West division with offenses that can put up 30+ points with ease. Obviously, the Cardinals will need to beef up their defense some more to keep games lower scoring, but at least now they can score and not just be a fantasy football-relevant group.

It's not enough to have your guys putting up box-score numbers when you aren't getting any points out of it, but LaFleur can turn that problem around. He's seen far more success calling the offense than not, and he's held down play-calling duties for the last five seasons between the Rams and the New York Jets. Experience and previous success are key, and LaFleur has both.

Plucking from the Sean McVay tree

Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay stands on the sidelines against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Some coaching trees are better than others, and McVay's disciples have found a myriad of success, including Mike's brother, Matt LaFleur, with the Green Bay Packers. Zac Taylor has been the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals since 2019, Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings since 2022, and Liam Cohen is coming off a playoff season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in his first year. They don't call it the "Sean McVay effect" for nothing.

Other coaches under McVay have found success in different coaching roles, and Jedd Fisch is responsible for turning around the Arizona Wildcats football program and now leads the Washington Huskies in college football. It's simply a well-built group with decent longevity.

The Cardinals will be hoping to steal some of that same success from their hated division rival to make themselves better and the Rams worse. At worst, there's a chance that the Rams offense stumbles a bit considering LaFleur has been the guy for three seasons. If you get that and some growth in the ever-lasting rebuild that is the Cardinals, one has to be happy.

All signs point to heavy offensive investment this summer

Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort speaks to the press from the Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe after the decision to fire head coach Jonathan Gannon on Jan. 5, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

You should always appreciate when a team identifies an area of weakness and goes all in on improving it. Last year, the Cardinals attacked their front seven and made their additions both through free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. The results were mixed, with some moves looking much better than others, but it was an investment that fans shouldn't look back on and regret. With LaFleur's hiring, it makes sense then that Arizona will spend this offseason attacking the offensive side of the ball.

Something that Cardinals fans should be happy about is knowing that the current roster already has better players than the defense did at this time a year ago. Trey McBride, Paris Johnson Jr., Michael Wilson, and Marvin Harrison Jr. are excellent building blocks for LaFleur to start his foundation off with.

Of course, Arizona will need a new quarterback with Kyler Murray all but officially gone and Jacoby Brissett also serving as a placeholder option at the position. The offensive line is a mess beyond Johnson, and more receiver and running back depth is needed.

If the Cardinals want to get instant results out of LaFleur, then they need to go all in on making the offense better this offseason. It's not ideal considering how needs and available talent line up for the 2026 NFL Draft, but there are still tons and tons of rookies worth adding.

If Arizona can find some bargain additions in free agency and find an option to roll the dice on for this season, the Cardinals could be cooking.