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Josh Weinfuss
Multiple Authors
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals have announced the hiring of Mike LaFleur as their new head coach, with the Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator signing a five-year deal on Sunday.
The Cardinals also spoke with Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak on Saturday night, but sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Kubiak is poised to become the next head coach of the Raiders after the Super Bowl, prompting Arizona to look to another NFC West offensive coordinator.
“We had the privilege of engaging with a remarkable pool of candidates throughout this comprehensive process and gained invaluable insights from each discussion,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill stated. “finally, it became evident that Mike LaFleur embodies all the qualities essential for leading this team to success as head coach. He possesses a sharp, creative football mindset and is an innovative and dynamic leader—exactly what we seek to guide our team.”
Arizona initially conducted a virtual interview with LaFleur earlier in the hiring process and later brought him in for a two-day interview, which included dinner with executives last Monday and Tuesday.
“I couldn’t be more excited to take on the role of head coach for the Arizona Cardinals and immensely appreciate Michael and [general manager] Monti [Ossenfort] for this opportunity,” LaFleur said in a statement. “Having faced them countless times in the NFC recently, I’m well aware of the talent and toughness this team possesses, and I’m eager to arrive in Arizona and get things moving.”
LaFleur, 38, takes over from Jonathan Gannon, who was dismissed as the Cardinals’ head coach on Jan. 5, initiating a nearly month-long search for his successor.
He becomes the sixth consecutive head coach hired by the Cardinals lacking prior permanent NFL head coaching experience.
even with that, LaFleur arrives in Arizona with a strong coaching background and offensive play-calling experience. He served as the Rams’ offensive coordinator for the past three seasons and was the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets from 2021 to 2022. yet, he didn’t call plays for the Rams, who reached the NFC Championship Game largely due to quarterback Matthew Stafford’s contributions, where he had one of the finest seasons of his career, throwing for the fourth-most passing yards.
Under the leadership of head coach Sean McVay, the Rams’ offense led the league in various categories, including points per game, total yards per play, passing yards per game, and first downs per game.
“Throughout his career, Mike has been influenced by some of the brightest minds in coaching and has played a crucial role in numerous successful teams,” Ossenfort stated. “He has a firm grasp of what constitutes winning football and what it requires to attain that success. With a detail-oriented teaching style and strong communication skills, Mike consistently brings out the best in his players, and we are thrilled to have him lead the Cardinals.”
LaFleur’s older brother, Matt, is the head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Having spent three seasons with the Rams and four seasons (2017 to 2020) with the San Francisco 49ers, LaFleur has extensive familiarity with the NFC West.
He steps into a Cardinals team that finished with a 3-14 record last season, holds the third pick in the upcoming draft, and comes with uncertainty at the quarterback position. It’s unclear if Kyler Murray, the current starter, will remain with the team for the 2026 season, despite having $39.8 million guaranteed. If Murray is still on the roster on the fifth day of the 2026 league year, his $19.5 million base salary for 2027 will become fully guaranteed.
LaFleur will guide a team whose offense fell to 19th in the league in 2025 after ranking 11th the previous year. The Cardinals’ defense ranked 27th last year, down from 21st in 2024.
Now, LaFleur embarks on the challenge of executing a swift turnaround—something Bidwill expressed he hopes can happen “in the first year, not the second” within a highly competitive NFC West, which saw the other three teams make it to the playoffs this season.
