Mike LaFleur Has Quickly Become Cardinals’ Worst-Kept Secret

The Arizona Cardinals have revealed their hand. Now, they need to act on it.

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 Arizona Cardinals are nearing completion of their process to find Jonathan Gannon's replacement, and their latest update just might be their most revealing.

Everyone knows what happens when you assume, but when assessing the Cardinals' hunt for their next head coach, Ian Rapoport's latest report surrounding Mike LaFleur is very telling.

Rapoport says the Cardinals are set to interview the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator both today and tomorrow for in-person interviews.

#Rams OC Mike LaFleur is scheduled to meet with the #AZCardinals for a second, in-person interview today and tomorrow, sources say. An intriguing candidate. pic.twitter.com/gYJVWWsQ1O

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 26, 2026

So, why is this significant?

LaFleur, now having been knocked out of the postseason, has the ability to interview in-person with prospective teams and can be hired immediately.

The Cardinals, having requested upwards of 15 different names, didn't waste any time in getting LaFleur to their building. And rightfully so.

LaFleur, viewed as one of the league's top up-and-coming offensive minds, also has a strong interest from the Las Vegas Raiders this coaching cycle. The Raiders are set to draft Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft while projecting to have more than $80 million in cap space this offseason.

ESPN's Adam Schefter says he expects all four of the league's remaining coaching vacancies — including Arizona, Las Vegas, Buffalo and Cleveland — to be filled relatively soon, saying he wouldn't be surprised if they were all filled by Wednesday.

READ: Why Cardinals Should Swing for Fences With Mike LaFleur

Needless to say, things will begin moving very fast for the last vacancies, if they haven't already.

Mike LaFleur is Obvious Front-Runner for Cardinals Job

With the Cardinals officially moving into next phase of their hiring process following the completion of the Rooney Rule, the organization now has the green light to officially hire their next head coach.

While it's still very possible other reported finalists such as Jacksonville Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile and former Atlanta Falcons HC Raheem Morris could ultimately land the gig, the Cardinals are having an awfully tough time hiding their affinity for LaFleur.

Scheduling back to back days of in-person interviews isn't exactly normal, expected or standard procedure. You really only do that if you're really head over heels for a certain candidate.

That appears to be the case, as NFL insiders such as Connor Hughes says LaFleur is the front-runner for the job in Arizona.

And now, he's got a two-day audition that will be the most recent of all candidates. If he nails it, the Cardinals' second day with him might just be a formality and ironing out details.

Never assume — that's the rule both in life and in the NFL. That's applicable here, too.

However, the Cardinals wanting LaFleur to be their next guy is now perhaps the worst-kept secret in this NFL coaching cycle.