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Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill speaks to the press from the Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe after the decision to fire head coach Jonathan Gannon on Jan. 5, 2026. Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cardinals Fans Are Rightfully Nervous as Coaching Search Stalls

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Jan 28, 2026 1:55 PM ET

The Arizona Cardinals are on their fourth week of searching for a new head coach following the departure of Jonathan Gannon with no end in sight.

The Cardinals have seen eight other NFL openings come and go while they've expanded their search to nearly 20 candidates.

"I think with the rules in place by the NFL, this is not a quick process, nor do we want it to be," Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said the morning of Gannon's dismissal.

"This is an important decision that Michael and I are going to undertake, and so we are going to be thorough. We're going to look at a wide range of candidates, and because of the NFL rules that they stand with [in terms of] timing of when we can talk to guys that are still in the playoffs. This is not a process that's going to be quick."

The Cardinals were smart to expand their range of coaches from all aspects, and were previously praised by us and others on doing so.

However, even after numerous twists and turns in what many hoped was nearing an end, we're approaching nearly a full month of the Cardinals' coaching search with what feels like still an ambiguous light at the end of the tunnel.

Fans are nervous, and it's hard not to blame them.

When Will Cardinals Hire Next Head Coach?

Many thought the Cardinals' search was set to expire yesterday, and for good reason. After Jacksonville Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile — a heavily rumored finalist for the job — was announced to be returning to Jacksonville, many believed a straight path was set for Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFluer to take the job.

The hire made sense, as LaFleur projects as one of the league's next up-and-coming offensive minds with prior experience under Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay in the NFC West. LaFleur also spent a scheduled two days with the Cardinals interviewing with them in person earlier this week, which signaled great interest from both sides.

Previously, ESPN's Adam Schefter said he wouldn't have been surprised if all remaining NFL job openings were filled by Wednesday.

With that timeline in mind, adding Campanile's departure from the mix to LaFleur concluding the second of his reported two-day interview process equalled what would have been an end to the search.

Things take time, and negotiations certainly don't happen in the blink of an eye — though nothing's emerged from the team's facility in Tempe. No white smoke signaling a new leader has been chosen.

The latest development suggests the Cardinals are wanting to meet in person with Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak this week.

That's where the fear comes in for Cardinals fans.

Kubiak, who was considered to be a coveted asset this coaching cycle, is believed to be a target of multiple reports suggesting he'd rather return to Seattle as opposed to taking a job with Arizona. Whether that's true or not will be told with time, but that's a cloud hovering over him.

The fear with interviewing Kubiak comes in a few different forms. With the aforementioned hesitation from Kubiak, many believe the Cardinals would simply be used as leverage for him to either stay in Seattle or take a job with the only other opening in the Las Vegas Raiders.

For what it's worth, the Raiders are projected to have over $80 million in cap space this offseason and currently own the No. 1 overall pick, which is highly anticipated to be used on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

In their potential pursuit of Kubiak, the possibility of losing LaFleur's interest also looms. LaFleur could easily return to Los Angeles and wait another cycle, especially with Arizona still wanting to pursue other options after their extensive in-person interview process.

Kubiak is allowed to interview with the Cardinals up until Feb. 1, though Arizona can't make anything official with him until after the Super Bowl, which isn't until Feb. 9 at the earliest.

And there lies the ultimate fear for Cardinals fans, missing out on both Kubiak and LaFleur while having another preferred candidate in Campanile dip out of the picture as well.

The Cardinals, hopefully, have a plan for all of this. Another reported finalist was former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris while Denver Broncos coordinator Vance Joseph also was an early favorite for the job.

Those names don't quite excite a fan base like the others, and the Cardinals have to be careful playing with fire before they get torched.