3 Biggest Things Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur Said at NFL Combine

Arizona Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur said a lot — but what stood out?

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur met with reporters at the NFL combine this week, speaking on numerous subjects ahead of his first offseason as the team's head coach.

From Kyler Murray to Marvin Harrison Jr. — here's our biggest takeaways from LaFLeur's time at the podium:

Marvin Harrison Jr. Will be Priority

Dec 21, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) on the field during warm ups prior to a game against the Atlanta Falcons at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

"What a stud of a human, first and foremost," LaFLeur said of Harrison.

"I didn't get a chance when he was coming out — obviously we knew he was going to be a top-10 pick and we didn't have one of those when I was in LA. So didn't really get a chance to get to know him. Just saw the player and obviously the traits are the traits. You saw all the good stuff that we all saw. What's been really cool is getting to know the human. It's hard for me to put into words other than just really excited to work with the guy. It was really cool, when I came in for the first in-person interview, the first three people I saw were him, Michael Wilson and Trey McBride.

"And they were, literally, right when I walked in past security, the first three at the breakfast table getting ready to go work out. And I basically gave all three of them a hug and said, this is a good omen right here. And it doesn't mean much except for man, they want to put in the work and they love this game. So excited to work with them. I know he's excited to get going with this thing. It'll be cool."

Harrison's tenure in Arizona has been anything but ideal, as a hit-and-miss rookie season was only followed by a disappointing sophomore campaign due to a mix of usage, drops and injuries.

"We're gonna put him in the position to most be successful. Foundationally, what has been really neat about the systems that I've been in and the system that we'll run is, who is the slot? Who is the X receiver? They're all interchangeable," LaFleur said of Harrison.

"And you try to maximize however many plays, let's call it 65 to 70 plays a game, to try to make sure all 65 to 70 matter and those guys are in the right positions at the right time. So we'll move him around just like we do all those guys. And again, have a better idea of that once we get going into May and then obviously through training camp to see where it's all going to fit."

Non-Commital on Kyler Murray

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray watches his team from the sidelines as they play the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Nov. 16, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Murray has been a massive talking point for the Cardinals this season, and as he prepares to potentially exit the franchise, LaFleur continues to stay neutral on the quarterback:

"Reached out. I'm not gonna get into the specifics of it but he reached back out to me and we'll keep it at that, just like I'm gonna keep all the conversations with everyone on our team between us," LaFleur said on any conversations with Murray.

When asked about Murray as a player, LaFleur said:

"Except for being in the building, I've been in this division seven years. Three with the Rams, four with the Niners. Two of those years, he wasn't there yet cause obviously he got there in '19. But really good football player. He was always a problem. I know this: I'm on the offensive side, when I was as an offensive coordinator. But I know the defensive coordinators I worked with, it wasn't a fun week for them. So a lot of respect for them as a player. Getting to know all these guys, not just him, as people a little bit more now that I've only been in it for three weeks here as an Arizona Cardinals."

College Coaches = Not a Problem

Mike LaFleur (head coach) answers questions during a news conference at the Arizona Cardinals training facility in Tempe on Feb. 18, 2026. | Mark Henle/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jonathan Gannon's prior coaching staff was anything but ideal thanks to the lack of experience around him in terms of coordinators and position coaches.

While LaFleur's coordinators are both experienced play-callers, Arizona's assistant coaching staff doesn't carry a ton of NFL experience — which didn't matter to him.

"Interviewed a lot of guys, talked to a lot of guys whether it be directly or indirectly through people that we know. And again, I just kept going back to this: Do they have great character, do they have great capacity? The college game is a little bit different, obviously, than the NFL game. But when you really boil it down, positionally and you're not talking schematics because we're talking more position coaches, can you coach one on one DB to receiver technique? Can you coach one on one D-line to offensive line technique? And the answer that I had was yes with these guys," said LaFleur.

"Because they are smart dudes and they are good character. Sometimes the way this thing goes with college coaches, they've had a lot of interest within other clubs in the NFL, it just hasn't been the right time yet? So I'm fortunate enough to grab those guys that I think are going to be really good fits for this league."