The Arizona Cardinals have hired former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as their next head coach. Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported that LaFleur agreed to a five-year contract.
LaFleur, the younger brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, becomes the second head-coaching hire under Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort, who is entering his fourth season with the franchise.
LaFleur joins Arizona after spending the past three seasons as the Rams’ offensive coordinator under head coach Sean McVay. While McVay remained the primary play-caller, LaFleur played a key role in shaping one of the NFL’s most productive offenses. The Rams ranked in the top 10 in yards per game in two of those three seasons and finished first in the league in 2025. That year, Los Angeles also led the NFL in scoring at 30.5 points per game and ranked first in passing offense with 268.1 yards per contest.
“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 said in a team-issued news release Sunday. “Having competed against them in the NFC so many times in recent years, I know the type of talent and toughness this team has, and I can’t wait to get to Arizona and hit the ground running.”
Although McVay handled most of the play-calling duties in Los Angeles, LaFleur had a chance to showcase his own abilities this past season. When McVay missed part of a week of preparation due to illness, LaFleur helped guide the Rams to a dominant 45–17 win over Arizona in December. The Rams piled up 530 total yards and scored six touchdowns—three passing and three rushing—in that game.
While the Cardinals’ defense struggled throughout the season, the performance still offered a glimpse of what LaFleur could do with full control of an offense.
Before his stint with the Rams, LaFleur served as offensive coordinator for the New York Jets from 2021 to 2022 under then-head coach Robert Saleh. Those offenses ranked 26th and 25th in total yardage, as quarterback Zach Wilson failed to develop into a consistent starter. Veterans Joe Flacco and Mike White also saw time at quarterback during that span. Neither Jets offense averaged more than 18.2 points per game, and both finished below 100 rushing yards per game.
LaFleur also spent several seasons working under San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. From 2017 to 2018, he served as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach before focusing primarily on the passing game from 2019 to 2020. Earlier in his career, LaFleur worked as an offensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2016 and began his NFL coaching journey as an intern with the Cleveland Browns in 2014.
The hire comes after Arizona fired head coach Jonathan Gannon one day after the 2025 regular season concluded. Gannon finished his three-year tenure with a 15–36 record, never posting a winning season. His best result was an 8–9 finish. Gannon has since been hired as the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers.
Arizona conducted an extensive head-coaching search that included 16 known candidates. The Cardinals interviewed nearly all of them, eventually narrowing the field to three finalists: Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, and LaFleur.
Several candidates accepted other head-coaching jobs during the process. Robert Saleh took the Tennessee Titans job, Joe Brady accepted the Buffalo Bills opening, Jesse Minter became head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, and Jeff Hafley was hired by the Miami Dolphins. Arthur Smith returned to college football as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator.
Arizona also briefly reached out to former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh following his dismissal, but he quickly accepted a job with the New York Giants.
With LaFleur now in place, the Cardinals’ focus shifts to assembling the rest of the coaching staff. A major decision also looms at quarterback, as Kyler Murray’s future with the franchise remains uncertain.