Cardinals Positioned for Strong Head Coach Hire as Top Targets Stay on Market

The Arizona Cardinals are in an ideal position for their head coaching search, with no top candidates off the board.

Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh talks with linebacker Fred Warner (54) during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

ARIZONA — With two NFL head coach openings now filled and a third reportedly honing in on a top candidate, the Arizona Cardinals are projected to be one of the last remaining teams with a vacancy.

Still, most of their top candidates are available — which is only good news for Arizona as they progress into the next stages of their search.

Sure, the Cardinals didn't get past the talking stage with John Harbaugh, who reportedly took an interview with the organization before ultimately landing with the New York Giants.

However, Harbaugh wasn't truly seen as a realistic option for Arizona. No skin off the Cardinals' back.

The same mentality can be applied towards the Atlanta Falcons' recent hire of Kevin Stefanski, who the Cardinals didn't even target as one of their 13 reported interview requests. Atlanta was initially projected to bring on one of the leaders in Arizona's clubhouse before Stefanski hopped on board.

READ: Cardinals May Have Lost Top Trade Candidate for Kyler Murray

While the Miami Dolphins have yet to make their hire official, there's high expectations they'll bring on Jeff Hafley — who was a reported finalist for the Cardinals. That certainly depletes the pool of suitable candidates, though when identifying Arizona's best options, he wasn't quite first or second.

We'll see what evolves around the league, too. All of the Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns still need to make hires alongside Arizona.

Yet as of this moment, the Cardinals still have most of their top options available.

We've been consistent in our messaging surrounding how Arizona needs to be aggressive in their pursuit of Robert Saleh, who is sure to get a head coaching look this cycle with plenty of teams interested.

With the 49ers now out of the playoffs, Saleh is available for hire. He's surely a name to watch to be hired soon whether that's by the Cardinals or someone else.

READ: Insider Sounds Alarm on Cardinals HC Search

The Cardinals will still have to wait on Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who dropped a 40-burger on Saleh's unit yesterday — he was the rumored name the Falcons wanted before shifting their focus to Stefanski.

If those options ultimately don't unfold for the Cardinals, a young and promising offensive mind such as Mike LaFleur is still available. He's taken a handful of interviews and thanks to his experience under Sean McVay/Kyle Shanahan, he's seen as the next potential coach to take the league by storm.

Other candidates are available and will be explored by Arizona, though when it comes to their top defined choices to turn things around in the desert, all appear to be available at the moment — even in spite of other teams closing their vacancies.