The Cardinals announced the hiring of Mike LaFleur as the team's head coach on Feb. 1, 2026.
The 38-year old LaFleur comes to the Cardinals after spending the past three seasons (2023-25) as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. In 2025, the Rams offense led the NFL in points per game (30.5), total net yards per game (394.6), passing yards per game (268.1), first downs per game (23.3), offensive touchdowns (63), passing touchdowns (46) and total points (518) on their way to an appearance in the NFC Championship game. They scored 30+ points in nine regular season games in 2025, which tied for the NFL lead (Buffalo) and scored 35+ points in six games, tied with the Bills and Seahawks for the NFL lead.
QB Matthew Stafford led the NFL in passing yards (4,707) and passing TDs (46), establishing career-highs in TD passes and passer rating (109.2). WR Puka Nacua led the NFL in receptions (129) and ranked 2nd in receiving yards (1,715) while WR Davante Adams led the NFL in touchdown receptions (14) despite playing in just 14 games. RB Kyren Williams ran for 1,252 yards and fellow RB Blake Corum added 746 rushing yards. That total is the fourth-most by a Rams teammate duo in franchise history.
In his three seasons as the Rams offensive coordinator, Los Angeles featured one of the NFL's top offenses, ranking 5th in passing yards per game (244.9), first downs per game (21.4) and offensive TDs (144), 6th in total yards per game (361.8) and offensive points per game (24.4) and 8th in red zone efficiency (59.8%).
LaFleur's older brother, Matt, is the head coach of the Green Bay Packers making the pair just the fourth set of brothers ever to serve as NFL head coaches joining Jim and John Harbaugh, Jon and Jay Gruden and Al and Ted Nesser.
A Mount Pleasant, MI native, LaFleur joins the Cardinals with 12 years of NFL coaching experience, including five years as an offensive coordinator. Prior to working with the Rams, he served as the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets for two seasons (2021-22) where WR Garrett Wilson was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 after catching 83 passes for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns. Wilson became the first rookie in Jets history to record at least 1,000 receiving yards in his debut NFL season. In 2021 he oversaw a Jets offense that was one of the youngest in the league and became just the second team since 1970 with a rookie leader in passing, rushing and receiving yards.
Before joining the Jets, LaFleur coached four seasons (2017-20) with the 49ers, where he spent the final three years as San Francisco's passing game coordinator after working with wide receivers in 2017. In those three years as the passing game coordinator, the 49ers offense finished 10th in scoring (24.9 ppg) and 9th in total offense (370.6 ypg) as TE George Kittle set a then NFL record for tight ends with 1,377 receiving yards in 2019 and became a two-time All-Pro selection (2018-19).
Some highlights from LaFleur's tenure with the Rams are below:
- During LaFleur's three seasons with the Rams, they won 32 games, made three playoff appearances and earned one NFC West title. This season they advanced to the NFC Championship Game.
- Under LaFleur, three different Rams offensive players combined for four All-Pro selections: WR Puka Nacua twice (2023 & '25), QB Matthew Stafford once (2025) and RB Kyren Williams once (2023). In 2025, both Stafford and Nacua were named first-team AP All-Pros. The Rams offense also combined for five Pro Bowl selections over the past three seasons: Nacua twice (2023 & '25), Stafford twice (2023 & '25) and Williams once (2023).
- Stafford excelled under LaFleur the past three seasons, ranking 2nd in passing yards (12,434), 3rd in passing TDs (90) and 4th in completions (1,054) during that span. After leading the league in passing yards (4,707) and touchdown passes (46) in 2025, Stafford is a leading candidate for NFL MVP.
- In 2025, the Rams offense set a franchise single-season record for TD passes (46), tied for the fewest sacks allowed (23) in the league and ranked 7th in the NFL in rushing (126.6 ypg).
- Under LaFleur's guidance in 2024, the Rams offense finished 10th in passing yards per game (227.5) and 15th in offensive yards per game (331.4) and first downs per game (20.1). The Rams also finished in the top-15 in scrimmage yards (5,861) and tied for the 7th-highest fourth-down conversion percentage (66.7%).
- During his first season in Los Angeles in 2023, the Rams finished the season ranked 7th in yards per game (359.3) and yards per play (5.6), 11th in rushing yards per game (120.3), 12th in rushing average (4.3), 10th in passing yards per game (239.0), and 8th in first downs per game (20.6), third down conversion rate (42%), and points scored per game (23.7). The offense also finished 4th in fourth down conversion rate (61.9%) and red zone efficiency (63.6%).
- In 2023, rookie WR Puka Nacua finished the regular season with the most receiving yards (1,486) and receptions (105) in a single season by a rookie in NFL history.
- RB Kyren Williams earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023 and followed that up by setting single-season career-highs in rushing yards (1,299) and rushing touchdowns (14) in 2024.
With San Francisco in 2019, LaFleur assisted the 49ers in reaching Super Bowl LIV working with an offense that featured 13 different players with at least one TD catch that season, tied for the most in a single-season in NFL history. QB Jimmy Garoppolo ranked 5th in yards per attempt (7.6), 6th in completion percentage (67.5%), and 10th in passer rating (98.6) during LaFleur's three seasons (2018-20) coordinating the 49ers passing game.Â
Prior to his time in San Francisco, LaFleur worked with the Falcons as an offensive assistant, first helping with the tight ends in 2015 and then with wide receivers in 2016. He began his NFL coaching career as an offensive intern with the Browns in 2014, assisting Cleveland's offensive line.
During his time with Atlanta's wide receivers in 2016, Julio Jones finished second in the league in receiving yards (1,409) and averaged 17.0 yards per catch, the fourth-best average in the league. Falcons wide receivers had 3,226 receiving yards, the second-most in the NFL that season, which helped Atlanta advance to Super Bowl LI. In 2015 working with the Falcons tight ends, Jacob Tamme ranked in the top 10 for receiving yards amongst tight ends (657).
LaFleur spent five seasons coaching at the collegiate level, beginning his career at his alma mater, Elmhurst College, in 2009 as an offensive assistant working with the quarterbacks. He also served as an offensive coordinator at Saint Joseph's College (2010-12) and at Davidson College (2013).
He was a team captain as a quarterback and safety at Elmhurst in Illinois. LaFleur and his wife, Lauren, have two children – daughter, Addison and son, Wes.
