Cardinals Should Swing for the Fences With Mike LaFleur as Head Coach

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals don't play baseball, though they might find themselves in a position to swing for the fences this offseason.

The Cardinals are currently one of eight open NFL vacancies for head coaches, and in a cycle that's not particularly strong (and also lost one of its top candidates already in John Harbaugh), Arizona has pieced together 13 candidates of various backgrounds and experience levels in hopes of finding a viable upgrade for Jonathan Gannon.

As NFL insider Benjamin Allbright points out, the Cardinals aren't exactly a five-star destination in comparison to other openings around the league:

I just find it fascinating how the fanbase from what is universally considered the least desirable job this cycle, is sneering at the idea of one of the most desirable candidates.

I don’t take the rest of it personally. https://t.co/98AsOc5y2d
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) January 15, 2026

As a result, the Cardinals may very well miss out on other top candidates for other opportunities.

Take in example Robert Saleh, who squeezed in an interview with the Cardinals at what felt like the last minute after scheduling others throughout the week.

If you're interested, you make time. Period. https://t.co/ycy0LXTAtV
— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) January 15, 2026

It'd be a pleasant surprise if Saleh lands in the desert, though fans shouldn't bank on the defensive coordinator choosing the Cardinals over other attractive destinations.

Yes, there's things to like about Arizona. However, compared to the rest of the league (like Allbright highlighted in his post) the Cardinals are widely viewed closer to a bottom team than vice versa.

READ: Tiering Every Cardinals HC Candidate

That puts faces such as owner Michael Bidwill and general manager Monti Ossenfort in a precarious position. With an anticipated talent pool that's only going to get more limited by the job, Arizona could soon find themselves in a spot where they need to swing for the fences and go all-in on a promising candidate looking for an opportunity.

There's several of those guys in each cycle, though there's one hot name right now the Cardinals should push all of their chips in for.

Cardinals Need to Bank Future on Mike LaFleur

May 28, 2025; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur watches during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

What Mike LaFleur lacks in experience, he makes up for in potential.

The Los Angeles' Rams offensive coordinator has been under the watch of Sean McVay since 2023. And while he doesn't call plays for the Rams, he's a large part of helping conduct one of the league's most innovative offenses on a yearly basis.

LaFleur did previously call plays for the New York Jets when Saleh hired him to become their offensive coordinator in 2021, though the spark quickly fizzled and the two sides split ahead of the 2023 season.

READ: Pros, Cons to Every Cardinals Coaching Candidate

Many will argue how much of New York's failures were his fault. Under LaFleur the Jets' offense ranked bottom six in stats such as points per game (17.8), yards per game (312.3) and EPA per play (-0.06).

However, when you see LaFleur had Zach Wilson and Mike White as his top two quarterbacks, the picture begins to get a little clearer.

There's hope Arizona's quarterback situation will only improve after an odd year seeing the pendulum swing from Kyler Murray to Jacoby Brissett.

Nobody knows what the Cardinals plan on doing with their former No. 1 overall pick while Brissett is under contract through next year.

Back to LaFleur, his first-hand experience under McVay, Saleh and Kyle Shanahan extensively dating back to time together in Cleveland, Atlanta and San Francisco bodes extremely well for a first-timer's resume.

Being the younger brother of offensive mastermind and Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur also isn't bad, either.

Mike LaFleur was the name I brought up as the OC/Assistant HC to Robert Saleh being the Cardinals HC.
He was the play caller for the Rams in week 14 when the Rams put up 45 points against Jonathan Gannon.
Very intriguing name who I would much prefer over someone like Joe Brady.… https://t.co/pJmuKxd2wt pic.twitter.com/Ofhd1HKxff
— Jace #HireMikeMcDaniel (@AzJace) January 5, 2026

But the association and understudy from some of the NFL's most prominent coaches isn't the only reason for LaFleur's hype. He hasn't gotten a ton of credit in the spotlight, but when he's had opportunities to call plays for the Rams, it's gone well.

READ: 3 Candidates Cardinals Still Must Interview

Cardinals fans should know, as it was LaFleur on the headset when Los Angeles visited State Farm Stadium this season and dropped a 45-point burger on the Cardinals' defense when McVay was sick.

"It didn't surprise me," McVay said after the dust settled. "It just confirmed how fortunate and grateful I'm to have a leader like Mike and a great coaching staff on the offensive side and really the coaching staff in general. They do a great job within their roles and then if they're asked to step up, all they do is answer the bell and take it to another level."

LaFleur's experience within the NFC West is also vital, as he's game-planned for all of Arizona, Seattle and San Francisco for the last three seasons while also having extensive experience and knowledge of how the Rams operate their own defense.

For a Cardinals team that went 0-6 within the division in 2025, that's huge.

But LaFleur isn't a guaranteed hit. There's several questions about bringing somebody under 40 with no prior head coaching experience into an organization that will be on its third head coach in five years in football's toughest division.

That's why if, a big if that LaFleur is hired, he absolutely needs a strong staff of veteran coaches around him. The Cardinals tried that previous song and dance with Gannon and the results were sub-optimal.

And that's where we land this plane. The Cardinals find themselves in a position where the next hire will either see Ossenfort likely fired and Arizona's forced to start from square one again — or the Cardinals finally strike gold.

LaFleur brings serious boom or bust potential if he's handed the keys to an organization, that can't be denied. Yet with the NFL continuing to trend towards young offensive play-callers who are able to adapt their attack if/when needed, LaFleur's resume is enticing to say the least.

Hire him. Surround LaFleur with strong, veteran coaches on both sides of the ball. Instill excitement within not only the offense but also the fan base and get this thing turned around.

Because just like a beloved former Cardinals coach in Bruce Arians once said: No risk it, no biscuit.

Cardinals Need to Bank Future on Mike LaFleur

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