The Arizona Cardinals turned to a familiar NFL pipeline in their search for a new head coach, hiring former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur to lead the franchise in a new direction. The move continues the leaguewide trend of teams betting on young offensive coaches with ties to Sean McVay’s system.
Why Mike LaFleur Fits What the Arizona Cardinals Need
The hire raised questions about how LaFleur’s background in Los Angeles could maximize a rebuilding roster in the NFC West. PFSN’s NFL analyst Alex Kennedy praised the decision during an appearance on the “Miller and Moulton” podcast.
“I think LaFleur is really interesting. He comes from that Sean McVay tree as an offensive coordinator,” Kennedy said. “We’ve seen a lot of those guys go on to have success as their own head coaches, Liam Cohen, Kevin McConnell, Matt LaFleur. Teams try to replicate what the Rams are doing. LaFleur has tons of potential. I think he’s a really interesting hire. They have a bunch of young pieces on offense that they need to maximize.”
LaFleur, 38, arrives after three seasons coordinating the Rams offense under McVay. Los Angeles finished the 2025 season first in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric and advanced to the NFC Championship Game. The Rams continue their run of offensive dominance, which has produced fast-tracked head coaching candidates from McVay’s staff since he became the youngest NFL head coach in 2017.
Before joining the Rams, LaFleur served as the 49ers’ passing game coordinator from 2017 to 2020, working alongside Kyle Shanahan. He then spent two seasons as the Jets’ offensive coordinator from 2021 to 2022. His path mirrors that of several recent hires from the McVay and Shanahan systems who have taken over franchises seeking to build what the Rams are.
Arizona enters the offseason coming off a 3–14 record that highlighted issues on both sides of the ball. The Cardinals went 2–8 in one-score games. The offense struggled to win games despite a young core that includes tight end Trey McBride and receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. The defense is an even bigger mess, ranking 29th in PFSN’s DEFi.
The NFC West presents an immediate test for the new staff. The division sent multiple teams to the postseason in 2025: the Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks. Seattle beat both its NFC West rivals en route to the Super Bowl. Arizona has not reached the playoffs since 2021 and is in the midst of a rebuild after consecutive losing seasons.
LaFleur will be a first-time head coach and has limited experience as a primary play caller. The Cardinals’ decision signals an organizational commitment to strike gold from the McVay tree. That’s why Kennedy thinks the Cardinals got this one right.
