Feb. 2, 2026, 10:37 p.m. MT
The Arizona Cardinals finally made their move to name a new head coach, making former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur their new leader. He worked with Rams head coach Sean McVay for the last three seasons, and coaches under McVay have found success.
While the addition of LaFleur has been met by optimism, there are questions.
These are the biggest questions he faces as he begins his tenure as the Cardinals’ head coach
Will he add an experienced defensive coordinator?
While LaFleur might be able to fix the offense, Arizona’s defense has been a problem for years. They have poured money and draft picks into that side of the ball with no results.
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Nick Rallis hasn’t moved to another team yet. Many connect Rams assistant head coach and pass game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant, but he has not yet been a defensive coordinator.
One problem that Jonathan Gannon’s staff seemed to have was a lack of coaching experience on the staff. Most of his staff were new to their positions.
Will LaFleur go the same route, or will he be able to add a veteran defensive coordinator? They had interest in Gus Bradley, but he is going to the Tennessee Titans.
What is the plan at quarterback?
No matter what the Cardinals do under LaFleur, probably the most critical decision is what they do at quarterback.
Jacoby Brissett went 1-11 in his 12 starts last season and is 2-15 as a starter over the last two seasons. The free agent class doesn’t look promising, and there doesn’t appear to be a quarterback in the draft they could select and plan on having as their starter in 2026.
All signs point to Kyler Murray being traded or released, but could LaFleur salvage that relationship? He is probably their best option for 2026 to find success.
How much success is he expected to have in 2026?
Owner Michael Bidwill, upon firing Jonathan Gannon, believes the Cardinals should be able to turn things around quickly. Are those the expectations in a very tough NFC West, or is that just lip service?
It might work better in 2026 to punt on the season, reset the roster and land one of the quarterbacks in 2027.
But if being competitive is expected now, how hot will his seat be after only one season?
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