Cardinals Land Mike LaFleur As New Head Coach In Bold Five-Year Move

The winds of change are blowing through the Arizona desert, and the NFL world is buzzing with anticipation. On February 1, 2026, the Arizona Cardinals made a headline-grabbing move by naming Mike LaFleur, the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator, as their new head coach. The announcement, confirmed by both the team and league insiders, marks a pivotal moment for a franchise eager to turn its fortunes around after a bruising 3-14 season and a month-long, exhaustive search for fresh leadership.

LaFleur, 38, steps into the top job in Arizona with a five-year contract in hand and a resume that’s as varied as it is intriguing. He’s the younger brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, and football pedigree runs deep in the family. But make no mistake—Mike’s journey to the desert was paved by his own achievements, most recently orchestrating one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses alongside Sean McVay in Los Angeles.

“I couldn’t be more fired up to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and am beyond grateful to Michael (Bidwill) and Monti (Ossenfort) for this opportunity,” LaFleur declared in a team statement. “Having competed against them in the NFC so many times in recent years, I know the type of talent and toughness the team has and cannot wait to get to Arizona to hit the ground running.”

LaFleur’s hiring comes on the heels of a turbulent period for the Cardinals. Jonathan Gannon, who helmed the team for three seasons but never managed a winning record (finishing 15-36), was relieved of his duties on January 5, 2026. Gannon has since landed as the Green Bay Packers’ new defensive coordinator, leaving Arizona’s front office to sift through a pool of 16 candidates. After a series of interviews and a narrowing of the field to three finalists—LaFleur, Raheem Morris, and Anthony Campanile—the Cardinals made their choice. Their decision was influenced by LaFleur’s offensive ingenuity and familiarity with the NFC West, a division he’s navigated for seven of the last nine seasons.

Owner Michael Bidwill didn’t mince words when explaining the hire: “At the end of that process, it was clear that Mike LaFleur possesses all the traits necessary to lead this team to success as its head coach. He is highly intelligent with an exceptionally sharp, creative football mind. Mike is also a dynamic and innovative leader and exactly the type of person we were looking for to guide our team as its head coach.”

LaFleur’s NFL journey began with stints as an offensive assistant in Cleveland and Atlanta, before he made his mark as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach under Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017 to 2020. His reputation as a sharp offensive mind grew, and he soon found himself calling plays for the New York Jets from 2021 to 2022. Admittedly, those Jets offenses struggled, ranking 26th and 25th in total offense, and never breaking the 18.2 points per game barrier. But it was in Los Angeles where LaFleur’s star truly ascended.

During his three-year run with the Rams, the offense soared. In 2025, the Rams led the NFL in yards per game, scoring (30.5 points per contest), and passing yards (268.1). While McVay was the primary play-caller, LaFleur’s fingerprints were all over the unit’s creativity and execution. He got his chance to call plays in a December 2025 showdown with the Cardinals, directing an eye-popping 530-yard, six-touchdown performance in a 45-17 rout—an audition that surely didn’t go unnoticed by Arizona’s brass.

“In his career, Mike has been around some of the best and brightest coaches in football and has been a key contributor to highly successful teams,” said Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort. “He understands what winning football looks like and what it takes to achieve it. Mike is a strong communicator with a detail-oriented teaching style that has always gotten the best from his players and we are incredibly excited for him to bring that to the Cardinals.”

But the task ahead is daunting. The Cardinals’ offense, once a top-11 unit, slid to 19th in 2025, and the defense tumbled to 27th. The team holds the third pick in the upcoming draft—a silver lining, perhaps, but also a sign of just how much work lies ahead. The NFC West is a gauntlet, with all three division rivals making the playoffs last season. Bidwill, for his part, is optimistic that LaFleur can spark a turnaround “in the first year, not in the second year.”

One of the thorniest issues facing LaFleur is the quarterback situation. Kyler Murray, the team’s incumbent starter, remains an enigma. His future in Arizona is uncertain, despite a hefty $39.8 million already guaranteed. If Murray is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2026 league year, his $19.5 million base salary for 2027 becomes fully guaranteed—a financial wrinkle that complicates any potential move. As Bleacher Report noted in its early analysis, “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 given the financial implications of trading or replacing him.”

Early reactions to the hire have been mixed. Bleacher Report handed out an A-minus, lauding the Cardinals for landing a “proven offensive mind who is yet to turn 40 to try to turn the franchise’s fortunes around.” Yahoo, on the other hand, was less impressed, assigning a C grade and highlighting the franchise’s roster issues and quarterback uncertainty: “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.”

The Cardinals’ coaching search was part of a broader NFL carousel this offseason. Klint Kubiak, the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, is expected to become the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach after the Super Bowl. Other notable moves include Robert Saleh joining the Tennessee Titans, Joe Brady taking the helm in Buffalo, Jesse Minter heading to Baltimore, and Jeff Hafley landing in Miami. Raheem Morris, one of Arizona’s finalists, will now serve as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.

As LaFleur settles into his new role, the immediate priorities are clear: fill out his coaching staff and resolve the quarterback conundrum. Cardinals fans, meanwhile, are left to wonder—will this bold new hire finally ignite a turnaround for a franchise hungry for relevance in the ultra-competitive NFC West?

With a fresh face at the helm and plenty of questions swirling, all eyes are on Arizona as the LaFleur era officially begins. The Cardinals’ next chapter is underway, and it promises to be anything but dull.