NFL World Has Strong Opinions About Mike LaFleur to Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals finally landed their head coach — but what does the NFL world think?

Jul 23, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The dust is beginning to settle on the Arizona Cardinals' hire of Mike LaFleur as their next head coach.

Arizona, the final team in the NFL this offseason to complete their coaching search, snags one of the league's brightest up-and-coming minds to help a Cardinals offense get back on track after they failed to score 30 points in a single game last season.

Fans seem to love it — but how do outsiders feel?

ESPN: B-

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

Ben Solak: "The Cardinals -- the last team to fill its head-coaching vacancy -- clearly did not get their preferred candidate, as they announced the hiring of LaFleur only minutes after it was reported that Klint Kubiak is expected to take the Raiders job.

"LaFleur is a chip off the old Kyle Shanahan block, having spent time as the 49ers' passing game coordinator under him before taking the offensive coordinator job with Robert Saleh and the Jets. LaFleur never got the plane off the ground with Zach Wilson in New York, and will now be in charge of another young quarterback's developmental arc, assuming Arizona moves off Murray and on to a new signal-caller.

"There's a solid ceiling here, as LaFleur is from a prolific coaching tree. But it's hard to get too excited about what feels like a very run-of-the-mill hire."

Our take: It's hard to call this hire a run-of-the-mill hire for the Cardinals, as they very easily could have reverted back to an experienced head coach such as Raheem Morris of Vance Joseph. LaFleur also spent three years under mastermind Sean McVay in Los Angeles before arriving to the desert, so he's gotten experience under the two coveted offensive minds in the league.

READ: Insiders Believe This DC Now Could Land With Cardinals

Yahoo!: C

Aug 14, 2025; Carson, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur reacts during a joint practice at the Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Frank Schwab: "The Cardinals weren’t an attractive job and that seemed to show in a lackluster coaching search. There’s nothing wrong with taking a shot on LaFleur. He’s 38, with seasons as Kyle Shanahan’s passing game coordinator and Sean McVay’s offensive coordinator. Those are two excellent head coaches to learn under. Rams passing game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase seemed to be the hotter name in the cycle, but if you liked Scheelhaase because of his youth and McVay ties, that applies to LaFleur too.

"The Cardinals don’t have a good roster, their quarterback situation is a mess and there’s very little track record of success. It’s a hard job. But LaFleur gets his chance to make it work."

Our take: Schwab's points against Arizona were mostly valid, though there are some building blocks for LaFleur to work with on both sides of the ball as injuries really sent 2025 sideways for the Cardinals.

READ: Mike LaFleur 'Immediately' Accepted Cardinals Job

CBS Sports: C

Jul 31, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur speaks to the media after training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Tyler Sullivan: "One thing to note is that he obviously didn't call plays when working under either Shanahan or McVay, who handle that role themselves. The one time he did call the offense, it didn't go well because the Jets' quarterback situation was a disaster. We don't yet know whether LaFleur plans to call the plays in Arizona, but it's worth noting that the Cardinals' quarterback situation is very much up in the air with Kyler Murray seeming at least somewhat unlikely to be back.

"Is LaFleur capable of scheming a different quarterback into position to succeed? He couldn't do it in New York, but that doesn't necessarily mean he can't do it now, several years later and in a different role. We just don't know."

Our take: The quarterback question is fair, and is the biggest piece of the puzzle for LaFleur's success with the Cardinals. LaFleur did have Mike White and Zach Wilson as his quarterbacks for majority of his tenure, so take that for what it's worth.

READ: What Mike LaFleur Said After Cardinals Hire

Bleacher Report: A-

Jun 3, 2025; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur at press conference during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

B/R: "LaFleur admittedly won't have the offensive firepower at his disposal in the desert that he did in Los Angeles—especially if the team moves on from quarterback Kyler Murray in the offseason. But it's at least possible that LaFleur's hiring signifies that Arizona may be willing to try one last reclamation project with Murray giving the financial implications of trading or replacing him.

"But in any event, the Redbirds got a proven offensive mind who is yet to turn 40 to try to turn the franchise's fortunes around. Given that Arizona was the last team to fill their coaching vacancy, it's just about the best-case scenario for the Cardinals."

Our take: This is undoubtedly the brightest vote of confidence across report cards for LaFleur, but in terms of where Arizona was at in their process with the available candidates, LaFleur does offer the most upside. The Cardinals needed to swing for the fences and that's what they did here.