Why Cardinals Fans Shouldn't Freak Out After OC Hire

There's quite the stir among Arizona Cardinals fans for their offensive coordinator hire — but there doesn't need to be.

Dec 25, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett reacts in the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Arizona Cardinals fans widely reacted negatively to news today of Nathaniel Hackett becoming the team's offensive coordinator. Given his reputation and overall lack of success around the league, that's a fair initial assessment.

For a Cardinals team looking to turn things around, having Hackett — who was just the fifth head coach in NFL history to be fired before his first season even concluded by the Denver Broncos in 2022 — isn't exactly a move that's synonymous with winning.

His play-calling experiences with the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers and New York Jets don't inspire confidence.

Nathaniel Hackett has had multiple stops over the last decade plus as both OC/HC.

Apart from his time at GB with Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur, his offenses on an EPA/Play basis haven't been great.

Very low on this hire, regardless of play calling.#AZCardinals #BirdGang https://t.co/9mGRYCEOSw pic.twitter.com/vBPkB3Ft9W

— Jace (@AzJace) February 4, 2026

And those criticisms of Hackett, who was set to be the Miami Dolphins' quarterbacks coach this season before Arizona came calling, are fair.

But allow me to provide some nuance, and perhaps calm in the storm of Hackett's newfound presence in Arizona.

Why Cardinals Fans Shouldn't Be Overly Upset

The biggest thing for me here is Hackett won't be the play-caller, as LaFleur himself confirmed he'd be the man in the headset for Arizona moving into the future.

"I look forward to it a lot. I missed it," LaFleur told reporters on calling plays for the Cardinals. "... It's an aspect of football that I missed a lot. So, you know, like anything else, it'll be challenging, but it'll be worth it."

Hackett should mostly be utilized in a few different areas for LaFleur, most notably helping install the offense in Arizona. Hackett, while also surely helping with ideas and tweaks for LaFleur, won't be altering base plans for LaFleur — who has promise to carry over the best of working under Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay.

The major selling point of LaFleur was what he can do offensively, and it's hard to imagine LaFleur (especially right away) will allow any major infiltration on Hackett's end. Feedback should always be welcomed, however.

Perhaps bigger than anything is Hackett's tenure in the NFL as a whole, especially his experience as a head coach.

Ideally the Cardinals would surround LaFleur with a seasoned staff that can help soothe the transition into his first time leading a team. That's what they're getting in Hackett, who has the one year of head coaching experience on top of the ten years of being an offensive coordinator.

"Well, his experience in Denver wasn't good!"

That's correct, but the hope is Hackett's not only learned from that experience in his own coaching journey, but also is able to pass down the valuable lessons he learned to LaFleur without LaFleur gaining that insight the hard way.

That's a mantra Monti Ossenfort offered when speaking directly on LaFleur's failed experience as the Jets' play-caller before being fired — and eventually replaced by Hackett.

"I'd say the way we viewed Mike's time in New York was a positive. Mike had his hand in walking into a tough situation. And, you know, the Jets had some tough things to deal with, and I think that is always beneficial when you can see different things in the building," Ossenfort said.

So, Cardinals fans, perhaps this hire isn't all doom and gloom. Hackett's role shouldn't be significant enough to truly alter Arizona's offense despite his track record, on paper, not being the best.

But to quote some old football coach somewhere in the Midwest: Football ain't played on paper.