Cardinals Head Coach Race Takes Massive Turn

Now, with Campanile out of the picture, the path seems to be clear for LaFleur to become the Cardinals' next head coach.

Campanile interviewed with the Cardinals twice and was considered one of the top three finalists alongside LaFleur and former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris.

However, heads started to turn when the Cardinals brought LaFleur in for two scheduled in-person interviews this week, which is normally a tell-tale sign of their interest.

It's possible Campanile, who was also a hot candidate in other coaching vacancies, was informed Arizona wouldn't be interested in his services and decided to return to Jacksonville.

Arizona, Las Vegas and Cleveland are the remaining three teams to be without a head coach at this point in time.

Why Cardinals Were Interested in Anthony Campanile

Campanile rose quickly through the coaching ranks as a fiery defensive-minded candidate that turned the Jaguars into the best run defense in the NFL last season. His work on that side of the ball, where Arizona obviously lacked, was notable as the Cardinals were looking to replace prior head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Campanile was highly regarded for his leadership and ability to help players develop, which was a key talking point for Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort during his press conference after firing Gannon:

"First and foremost, we're looking for a strong leader. Being a head coach in the NFL is a difficult job, and there's 31 other teams that are trying to do the same thing that we're doing. And so a lot goes into that. There's being a strong leader, it's creating accountability and dependability in the locker room, it's creating advantages on the field, putting our players in a position to be successful. It's developing young players. It's helping them take that next step. We get players out of college, and we have to get them better. And so there's a lot that falls under the umbrella of a head coach, and so we're focused on finding a coach that can help us achieve those goals," said Ossenfort.

Why Mike LaFleur Might Be Their Preferred Choice

LaFleur is poised to become the NFL's next young, innovative play-caller after spending previous time under notable offensive minds in Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay.

LaFleur's experience in the NFC West and knowledge of its teams, particularly their defenses, could also be a strong selling point for an Arizona team that didn't win a single game within the division in 2025.

With weapons such as Trey McBride, Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr., there's hope LaFleur would be able to scheme and maximize those talents while also masking some deficiencies within the offensive line and overall rushing attack.

And, of course, the Kyler Murray question also looms large. LaFleur can either try to work with the seven-year veteran or usher in a new era of Cardinals football with a young signal-caller down the road.

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