Cardinals Couldn't Beat Him, So They Hired Mike LaFleur

The Arizona Cardinals ended their 27-day search for their next head coach, announcing the hiring of Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as the next top guy in Arizona.

For three years, the Cardinals were a favorite target for LaFleur and Rams head coach Sean McVay, holding a 5-1 record against the Jonathan Gannon-led Cardinals.

LaFleur is coming out of one of the most successful coaching trees in recent history with Sean McVay and Mike Shanahan heavily influencing the young coach who will only be 39-years old at the beginning of the season. Former McVay offensive coordinators have gone on to notable success over the past few years and the combined winning record of Matt LaFleur (Mike's older brother), Kevin O'Connell, and Liam Coen is 132-69-1.

By hiring LaFleur on a five-year deal, the Cardinals are attempting to import the very system that has systemtically picked them apart for years in the NFC West.

Mike LaFleur's Background

Even though he is still a young coach, LaFleur is not new to the National Football League.

After a few years as a positional coach and offensive coordinator at the college level, a 27-year old LaFleur made his way to the NFL in 2014 as an offensive intern for the Cleveland Browns.

He held several assistant and positional jobs over the next few years with the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers before breaking into the rank of offensive coordinator for the first time with the Robert Saleh-led New York Jets from 2021-2022.

In 2023, he became the lead offensive coach beside McVay for the Rams after their Super Bowl LVI victory over the Bengals.

His connections with McVay run deep. LaFleur's older brother, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, worked together as assistants on Mike Shanahan's Washington team in 2010 along with another NFC West rival coach, Kyle Shanahan. Matt also spent one season as McVay's offensive coordinator in 2017 before moving on to Tennessee and eventually a head coach position of his own in Green Bay.

Success in Los Angeles

Over the past three years, LaFleur has been part of an offense in Los Angeles that has finished 8th, 20th, and 1st in total team offense.

In the most recent 2025 season, the Rams led by quarterback Matthew Stafford were first in points, yards, yards per play, first downs, and passing yards.

As noted in the official Arizona Cardinals press release announcing the hire:

In his three years with the Rams, the Los Angeles offense was fifth in passing yards, first downs and touchdowns, sixth in yards and points per game, and eighth in red-zone efficiency.
Darren Urban for the Arizona Cardinals

In December 2025, LaFleur might have provided a final audition for the role he just received by dropping 45 points and 530 yards of offensive production on Arizona while filling in as the play-caller for a sick McVay.

Though some have questioned the pertinence of the Rams success considering LaFleur was not the primary play-caller in his time there, the Rams have consistently been one of the best offenses in the league.

Under LaFleur, the Rams' offense evolved into a multifaceted machine that paired an ageless Stafford's veteran savvy with a revitalized ground game, which produced its highest rushing totals in nearly a decade.

By the time the Rams reached the NFC Championship game this year, LaFleur should have neutralized the unproven label attached to him since leaving New York, where he was the primary play-caller and replaced it with a reputation for high-level schematics and red-zone efficiency.

Outlook for the Cardinals

So what could this hiring signal for the future of the Arizona Cardinals? Here are some key elements that Cardinals fans should look forward to in 2026.

McVay Scheme

Expect a major shift toward a McVay style offense. LaFleur will likely prioritize heavy condensed formations and heavy pre-snap motion to keep defenses guessing. It might not initially seem drastically different from the much maligned Petzing offense of the past three years, but it important to keep in mind that LaFleur is going to call his own plays in Arizona.

Trey McBride Continues to be a Superstar

LaFleur weaponized the tight end in Los Angeles and that should only continue with the best tight end in football, Trey McBride, on his squad. Tip Reiman also should figure as a key blocking tight end in heavy sets.

Marvin Harrison Jr. Develops

One of the great hopes of the coming LaFleur regime rests on his ability to develop Marvin Harrison Jr. into the player that the football world expected him to be. Look for the offense to use Harrison in high-leverage iso situations that capitalize on his catch radius, similar to how Davante Adams and Puka Nacua were used in Los Angeles. Expect his target numbers to skyrocket in 2026.

Rushing Foundation

Los Angeles might have been famous for their passing attack this past season, but LaFleur's root philosophy still rest in the Shanahan zone-run scheme. Cardinals fans should expect a discipline, high-volume ground game.