Arizona Cardinals plan to hire Mike LaFleur as head coach, per report

The Arizona Cardinals plan to hire Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as their head coach, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. LaFleur will make the jump to head coach but remain in the NFC West after spending the last three seasons under Sean McVay.

Mike LaFleur, brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, is finalizing a five-year deal with Arizona. He will replace Jonathan Gannon, fired after the 2025 season. With LaFleur in place, all 10 NFL head coach vacancies have been filled.

LaFleur, 38, got his start in coaching as an offensive assistant for Elmhurst in 2009. An offensive intern for the Cleveland Browns in 2014, LaFleur quickly rose through the NFL coaching ranks. In 2017, he became passing game coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers under Kyle Shanahan, a role he held through the 2020 season.

In 2021, then 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh became head coach of the New York Jets. LaFleur followed him to New York, serving as the team’s offensive coordinator. Both sides parted ways after two seasons. LaFleur found a lifeline with McVay, who brought him on as offensive coordinator in 2023.

Though he didn’t call plays in Los Angeles, LaFleur got the chance to work alongside and learn under arguably the game’s most innovative play-caller in McVay. That proved to be appealing for Arizona, a job that will be no easy undertaking.

Mike LaFleur lands first NFL HC job

The Cardinals have just one playoff appearance over the last 10 seasons, coming off a 7-10 campaign in 2025. Questions, there are aplenty on the roster; the biggest one resides at the quarterback position. Kyler Murray played in just five games, missing most of the season with a persistent foot injury. Between injuries and inconsistent play, Murray’s future in Arizona is all but certain.

Signed to a five-year, $230.5 million contract in July 2022, Murray has a cap hit north of $52 million in 2026, per Spotrac. Releasing Murray would be costly. Should Arizona release Murray before June 1, the Cardinals’ dead cap hit will be $57.8 million. A release with a June 1 designation spreads the dead cap hit to $50.6 million in 2026 and $7.2 million in 2027.

Time will tell if LaFleur believes he can get the most out of Murray next season. If he doesn’t, LaFleur and management above him will be tasked in finding a viable replacement.