Cardinals Hot Seat Rankings: Who’s Under The Most Pressure After a 1-3 Start?

Four games in, the Arizona Cardinals are 1-3 and the heat is rising. Here’s who’s feeling it most.

Oct 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) throws the ball during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We're a quarter of the way through the season, and the Arizona Cardinals have been an unfortunate underperformer with a 1-3 record.

It's not as if the Cardinals have been out-classed through their first four games. A win in Los Angeles started the season off on a positive note while Seattle's blowout loss was a humbling reset for first-year head coach Mike LaFleur. Back-to-back tough losses to San Francisco and New York bring us to present day.

What the rest of the season looks like largely remains to be seen. However, a number of figures within the organization find themselves in discussions daily from the fan base.

Whose seat is hot, and whose is not?

GM Monti Ossenfort: Pretty Warm (7.5/10)

Aug 6, 2026; Canton, Ohio, USA; Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort on the sidelines prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ossenfort, in his fourth season, has yet to build anything close to a playoff contender. Coaches have come and gone, franchise players have departed, and his draft/free agency classes have yielded a heavy bag of mixed results.

Ossenfort — almost surprisingly — was retained while Jonathan Gannon was fired this past offseason. Injuries again appear to be stalling progress in the desert, though the Cardinals failed to upgrade key positions at edge rusher and right tackle. Those weaknesses are still glaring after four weeks of football.

Patience has run thin on Ossenfort, and if the Cardinals can't turn things around in the final three quarters of the season, it would be a very hard sell to the fan base for him to return for a fifth season.

HC Mike LaFleur: Cold (3/10)

Sep 20, 2026; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur looks on in the first half against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LaFleur hasn't been without his issues as a rookie head coach. The offense hasn't been able to find explosive plays or counter whatever defenses are doing to stop them on a consistent basis while the defensive side of the ball still remains lackluster — a unit LaFleur doesn't directly oversee but still ultimately is in charge of as a head coach.

Yet we're only four games into LaFleur's tenure, and it's evident the potential he carries as an offensive play-caller once continuity and experience can eventually marry on his side of the ball. Arizona's offense has moved the ball well and quite frankly is a play or two away from being a 3-1 team.

The moral scoreboard doesn't mean anything, but LaFleur's been far from a failure in the infant stages of his career in the desert. His seat isn't anywhere close to warm.

DC Nick Rallis: Flaming Hot (9/10)

Jul 23, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis during training camp at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rallis' leash entering 2026 was already short. The Cardinals interviewed multiple defensive coordinators before being turned down and eventually settled for a fourth season under the play-caller.

There was hope the defense would be different with Gannon's fingerprints removed. That's yet to be the case, as Arizona's allowed 30+ points in three consecutive games. The Cardinals still aren't able to rush the passer and struggle to eliminate a team's top passing weapon on a weekly basis.

Veteran defensive coach Teryl Austin is very much looming as a potential replacement for Rallis, which could happen much sooner than some on the outside anticipate. Unless the Cardinals can turn things around, Rallis being relieved of his duties feels more like when — not if.

QB Jacoby Brissett: Hot (8/10)

Oct 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) warms up before the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cardinals engaged in a lengthy contract dispute with Brissett this summer before reaching a number. It was a win for the veteran quarterback — who got one last payday as a starter — while Arizona kept their locker room happy and got a capable veteran passer to run LaFleur's offense.

Thus far, Brissett's been relegated to checking the ball down often and has struggled to find the aforementioned explosive plays. The time missed during his holdout very much impacted his timing/grasp of LaFleur's system and it shows.

Brissett, despite online pitchforks, hasn't been the biggest roadblock for Cardinals success. However, he's proven he isn't capable of taking Arizona's offense to new heights — and as losses pile and patience wears thinner — Brissett is very much on the verge of losing his starting job.