Cardinals Set to Interview Coveted Rams Coordinator

The Arizona Cardinals' list of coaching candidates has reached double digits.

November 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals' list of coaching candidates has now hit its tenth name.

The Cardinals are reportedly requesting to interview Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula in the coming days, according to NFL insider Albert Breer.

Arizona also wants to interview Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. You can read more about that here.

Demand for Rams' assistants 📈📈📈

Per sources ...

• DC Chris Shula has requests from Cards, Raiders, Titans, Giants, Ravens and Dolphins.

• PGC Nathan Scheelhaase has requests from Raiders, Browns and Ravens.

• OC Mike LaFleur has requests from the Raiders and Cards.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 11, 2026

The Cardinals now have requested to interview Shula, LaFleur and the below names:

Vance Joseph, Robert Saleh, Anthony Weaver, Patrick Brown, Raheem Morris, Klint Kubiak, Matt Nagy and Jeff Hafley.

More on Chris Shula

Dec 7, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Shula is one of the more popular coaching candidates in this cycle, as Breer mentioned he'll also interview with the Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins.

Shula has been with the Rams since 2017 and has climbed the ranks under head coach Sean McVay, most recently becoming their defensive coordinator in 2024 after coaching linebackers, defensive backs and holding titles such as passing game and pass rush coordinator, too.

He's earned some hefty praise from his players this season:

"I feel like he's really called as good a game as anyone I've been around, surprises us sometimes with some cool, really aggressive stuff, and then pulls back," said veteran inside linebacker Troy Reeder to the Rams' official website.

"... We've been able to see his personality come to life as a play caller while still being Chris Shula, the guy that everybody likes to hang out with, super approachable.

"He's one of the best coaches I've ever had."

And yes, for older fans, he is indeed the grandson of the great NFL head coach Don Shula.

The Rams, this season, had a top ten scoring defense in allowing 20.4 points per game.

The McVay coaching tree has seen success in the NFL — is Shula next in line? One knock on him is his lack of head coach experience, and after the Cardinals swung and missed on Gannon, that could be a factor in Arizona's search for their next leader.

However, Shula is clearly a coveted name in this cycle for a reason, and with eight openings it feels like there's a good chance he could end up with a head coaching seat somewhere entering 2026.

Whether that's in Arizona remains to be seen, though the Cardinals at least want to do their homework on Shula in the coming days.