Cardinals Set to Interview Their Best HC Candidate

The Arizona Cardinals are taking their time finding their next head coach, is this the man for the job?

Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill 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

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals have eight names currently atop their list to replace Jonathan Gannon.

All of Vance Joseph, Robert Saleh, Anthony Weaver, Patrick Brown, Raheem Morris, Klint Kubiak, Matt Nagy and Jeff Hafley have reportedly been requested by the Cardinals to interview for the vacant spot.

All of those names have various strengths and weaknesses to their game, though their home run hire hasn't even been interviewed.

That's coming, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.

Rams OC Mike LaFleur has been asked to interview, and will this week, for the HC positions in Las Vegas and Arizona, per ESPN’s @PSchrags.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2026

Meet Mike LaFleur

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

There's a running joke across the league that if you've had a cup of coffee with Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVay, you'll get a head coaching interview.

This isn't a joke.

Los Angeles Rams OC Mike LaFleur doesn't bring any head coaching experience to the table, which may shy Arizona away given how their last run went with Gannon. Some may also shy away from giving him credit while Sean McVay calls the plays in Los Angeles.

Those are fair critiques of the 38-year-old LaFleur, though Arizona needs to hit this head coaching hire on the head. They need to swing for the fences. They need a home run.

LaFleur fits that billing.

Why Mike LaFleur Makes Sense

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 Cardinals need many things out of their next leader, though in a tough NFC West where every divisional game feels like a track meet, Arizona would love an innovative offensive mind to keep pace with the 49ers, Seahawks and Rams.

LaFleur has served as an understudy to both McVay as Los Angeles' offensive coordinator since 2023 and also Shanahan as his passing game coordinator in San Francisco from 2017-20.

Between stops of the offensive masterminds, he served under Robert Saleh as the New York Jets' offensive coordinator for two seasons before the two sides mutually agreed to part ways after a failed stint.

That's quite the trio of names for any understudy to have, but specifically for a Cardinals team that went 0-6 in the NFC West this past season, familiarity is a helpful tool, and that's exactly what LaFleur can specifically bring to the Cardinals.

What an advanced play-caller could do with some of Arizona's top weapons in the likes of Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson is exciting to say the least. Perhaps an overlooked facet is the ability to mask and cover various inefficiencies with play-calling and scheming, which has been missing in Arizona.

Preferably, if Arizona went that route, a staunch and veteran-led staff would be placed around LaFleur to help the transition to head coaching duties. The Cardinals failed to do that with Gannon and some would argue that was a gamble that didn't pay off.

It's not wise for the Cardinals to box themselves in for certain requirements to land their next head coach. Arizona should simply hire the best person for the job when it comes to leading the pack.

Yet there's a certain sense of reality that comes with identifying various tiers and candidates. The Cardinals are sure to be out on guys such as John Harbaugh, for example.

Arizona may be more inclined to push their chips to the middle of the table on somebody else, and while LaFleur lacks experience at the position, he checks most other boxes to make him an ideal candidate to save the Cardinals before they're forced to hit the rest button in bigger ways down the road.