Cardinals Head Coach Mike LaFleur Could Be the NFL’s Biggest Surprise

ARIZONA — Super Bowl confetti won't be a thing for the Arizona Cardinals in 2026 or in the near future, though that shouldn't stop the organization from making some noise.

The Cardinals took a major swing at the plate with new head coach Mike LaFleur, a first-timer who served as a long-time understudy to Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan through his stint as an offensive coach.

Firing the defensive-minded Jonathan Gannon (a well-respected voice in the Cardinals' locker room) and rolling the dice on an inexperienced but promising name such as LaFleur showed Arizona was drastically ready to shift their philosophy after a fourth consecutive season where the playoffs were missed.

In order for the LaFleur experiment to really work, Arizona needed to re-work some of their offensive personnel — and as the dust settles on their free agency signings and 2026 draft, they've done just that.

Why Mike LaFleur Can Exceed Expectations in 2026

Arizona Cardinals new head coach Mike LaFleur at a news conference on Feb. 3, 2026, at Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The arsenal of weapons in Arizona was exciting for any coach to work with prior to LaFleur taking the job. All of Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson made for a fun passing trio while a (hopefully) healthy James Conner could tote the rock with the best in the desert.

Yet the Cardinals quickly got to work in free agency, upgrading their starting left guard spot with Isaac Seumalo and boosting their running back room with Tyler Allgeier. Arizona's WR3, Kendrick Bourne, was also welcomed in free agency alongside potential starting right tackle Elijah Wilkinson.

The draft saw more reinforcements, as the Cardinals spent their top two selections on playmaker/running back Jeremiyah Love and projected starting right guard Chase Bisontis.

“Running back, receiver, tight end—there's no secret in this league explosives are massive. When you look outside of obvious points, what are the two biggest factors statistically, it's turnovers and explosives," LaFleur said after drafting Love.

"It's actually closer than you'd think, and so any time and any way you can generate explosives, that's a good thing for the offense. Anytime you can obviously limit explosives from a defense, that's a good thing for the Arizona Cardinals. When you bring in explosive playmakers at any position, you're giving yourself a better chance to have those explosives.

"I don't have to call the greatest plays sometimes when you just get the ball to a guy like (TE) Trey McBride, he breaks three tackles and he turns it into an explosive. Same thing with our receivers, so anytime you can get that from the backs, it's just that next position that allows you to get those explosives."

Their third-round pick, quarterback Carson Beck, may also get a chance to show what he can do in 2026.

The quarterback position is one of great interest and talking points this offseason in Arizona. Jacoby Brissett is projected to return as the starter from last season but is wanting a pay raise to ensure he's compensated fairly, in his eyes. Veteran passer Gardner Minshew (added in free agency) and Beck sit behind him in the current projected depth chart.

Brissett's 1-11 record as a starter isn't exactly glowing, though the offense did seem to function better with him at the helm compared to the first few games with Kyler Murray under center. Brissett's not a game-changer, though he's clearly capable of spreading the ball and conducting the show as needed.

All of the above is to simply say, LaFleur has plenty to work with entering his rookie season. Fans feel good about four-of-five spots along the offensive line while there's premium talent available at every position group.

Previously operating under Shanahan and McVay, there's hope LaFleur's offense will be vastly different in his approach compared to prior Cardinals offensive coordinator/play-caller Drew Petzing. LaFleur's system projects to be one where there's plenty of movement to generate mismatches and advantages for the offense.

LaFleur's kitchen is stocked full of ingredients. He's seen multiple chefs cook at high levels. Can he do the same? The opportunity surely is there, even if the national media still isn't paying attention to Arizona.

If LaFleur is half of what he could become in terms of running an offense, the Cardinals could easily get themselves back on track, perhaps sooner than some think.

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