LaFleur is McVay’s sixth head coaching producer, following Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals, Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers, former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings and Liam Coen of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Although McVay was a Rams player, LaFleur was instrumental in the Rams’ success over the past three seasons, with three straight playoff berths and double-digit win campaigns. McVay, LaFleur and quarterback Matthew Stafford spearheaded an LA offense that was first in points and yards in 2025 ahead of a run to the NFC title game.
Blessed with offensive talent like Stafford, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Kyren Williams, LaFleur won’t have such a star-studded roster to begin with in Arizona. He inherits the difficult task of improving the Cardinals on both sides of the ball.
Arizona hasn’t made the playoffs since 2021 — also its last winning season. The Cardinals haven’t won in the postseason since the 2015 NFC Championship game.
Last season’s team went 3-14 and finished last in the NFC West — a division that produced three playoff teams, each of which won at least one postseason game, including LaFleur’s Rams, of course.
Various signs point to Kyler Murray having played his last games as Cardinals quarterback and veteran Jacoby Brissett is unlikely to be a long-term starter. Still, there is young talent in tight end Trey McBride and offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr.
Defensively, the Cardinals ranked 29th in points allowed and Pro Bowl mainstay Budda Baker could be a candidate to move forward with a $19.2 million cap hit in 2026.
Promise and question are the Cardinals’ flock of recent first-round picks: Marvin Harrison Jr., Darius Robinson and Walter Nolen. Robinson and Nolen have both struggled to get on the field due to injuries, while Harrison hasn’t blossomed like so many expected and also had injury issues last year.
The 38-year-old LaFleur is a young hire to lead a rebuilding Cardinals team, but he boasts a wealth of experience.
He has been with the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers dating back to 2014. The product of the McVay-Kyle Shanahan offensive tree that has had success throughout the league, LaFleur had a tremendous first stint as offensive coordinator with the New York Jets from 202021-20222. He caught on with the Rams the last three years. That’s earned him a shot at the big chair, just like big brother Matt and his former bosses, McVay and Shanahan, who he’ll be up against twice a year as he aims to build the Cards into winners.