Feb. 3, 2026, 6:45 a.m. ET
Earlier this offseason, the New York Jets saw former head coach Robert Saleh land the same job with the Tennessee Titans.
Now, Saleh’s former offensive coordinator finds himself in the same position. Ex-Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is the Arizona Cardinals‘ new head coach, according to various national reports.
LaFleur served as the Jets’ OC and play-caller for two seasons (2021-22). After failing to get desirable results with first-round bust Zach Wilson, Saleh fired him and replaced him with Nathaniel Hackett.
The offense got worse under Hackett, who the Jets brought in largely due to his relationship with incoming quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Since leaving the Jets, LaFleur has spent the previous three seasons (2023-25) coordinating the Los Angeles Rams‘ offense. It’s worth noting that’s a non-play-calling role. Rams head coach Sean McVay calls the offense in L.A.
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LaFleur will face a significant challenge in Arizona. They were the last team to hire a head coach after they strongly pursued Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who chose the Raiders over them. The Cardinals then seemingly circled back to LaFleur.
LaFleur will possess an opportunity to further embarrass the Jets for firing him. Meanwhile Aaron Glenn and the Jets are still searching for their next offensive coordinator. We’ll surely be monitoring how Saleh and LaFleur fare in 2026.