Insider Sounds Alarm on Cardinals’ Head Coaching Search

The Arizona Cardinals face an uphill battle compared to the rest of the NFL.

Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort talks to owner Michael Bidwill during the team's practice at State Farm Stadium on July 29, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals have identified 13 candidates to replace former head coach Jonathan Gannon after three years of service.

Those candidates have several pros and cons to each, as the Cardinals indeed held their promise of casting a wide net.

Arizona, one of eight current NFL openings, hopes to strike gold with their next hire. However, that might be an evasive task.

NFL Insider Highlights Cardinals' Problem With HC Search

NFL insider Mike Garafolo offered this when going through the NFL's list of coaching vacancies:

"Arizona — we'll see. The problem with Arizona is this list [of candidates] was here [short] when you fired your guy. Now it's here [long].

"You got quarterback problems, you're known as a team that doesn't spend a lot of money when it comes to coaching staffs, so you're really going to have to — if you want one of these top candidates — come up stronger than you usually do [financially]. So Arizona, I think, could take some time for some sorting out there."

Full clip:

Now that John Harbaugh is likely to end up in New York…

Where do the other NFL head coaching searches stand?
#Titans: Matt Nagy and Lou Anarumo#Steelers: Scheelhaase or Flores#Dolphins: Hafley#Falcons: Kubiak#Raiders: Flores is in the mix#Cardinals: QB problems/not… pic.twitter.com/AeCBmSjjDa

— Anthony Gargano (@AnthonyLGargano) January 16, 2026

READ: 3 Coaches Cardinals Still Must Target

Alongside the Cardinals are the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns currently looking for head coaches in the 2026 offseason.

Miami reportedly is targeting Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley for their job, who reportedly was named a finalist for Arizona.

Other than Hafley, all of Thomas Brown, Matt Burke, Vance Joseph, Klint Kubiak, Mike LaFleur, Jesse Minter, Raheem Morris, Matt Nagy, Robert Saleh, Chris Shula, Arthur Smith and Anthony Weaver were requested to be interviewed by the Cardinals.

Hafley is currently the only known name Arizona wanted to bring in for a second interview.

READ: Tiering Every Cardinals HC Candidate

Garafolo raised some valid points around Arizona's search for their next head coach, as the unknown with Kyler Murray is a big domino that could sway candidates from taking the job in the desert while Bidwill has been known to lean towards the more conservative side financially.

It's notable Bidwill will have to pay up to three coaches once he hires a new face, as Kliff Kingsbury and Gannon are still on his payroll.

However, Bidwill likely knew he'd have to spend anyways after firing Gannon. If money wasn't a problem then, it shouldn't be now.

The Cardinals could very well be one of the last teams to make a hire at head coach, though the long list of candidates isn't inherently negative.

That being said, Arizona isn't viewed as a top-tier destination — so they may be forced to hire later in the cycle as top candidates likely flock elsewhere.