Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Mike LaFleur look to end a drought in the desert that’s been the downfall of the Grid Birds for decades
By Matthew Serocki | May 31, 2026
To say that the Arizona Cardinals are in a tough situation in 2026 would be a massive understatement. The birds have been lumped into the AFC West with the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks, the Los Angeles Rams, and the San Francisco 49ers. Each of those teams has made the Super Bowl at least once since 2020.
Seattle’s defense formidably clamped down on every opponent in the 2025 postseason, including a near shutout for three quarters of Super Bowl XLIX. Mike McDonald’s team defeated NFC West rival San Francisco in the Divisional round and Los Angeles in the NFC Championship Game.
Any fourth team would be hard-pressed to make a dent in a stacked division like the NFC West. One could argue that the NFC North is just as competitive as every team finished over .500. Only the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers qualified for postseason play.
Because the Cardinals are always behind the eight ball before the season even starts, the squad is on its second head coach in four years. Gone is Johnathan Gannon and his awkward public presence. Gannon helmed the Cardinals to a 15-36 record.
Before those failures, Kliff Kingsbury led Arizona to a 28-37-1 record and one playoff appearance (2022) in his four years. Mike LaFleur gets the next shot to make the Cardinals relevant in a division that could dominate the league again in 2026.
Gone is former face-of-the-franchise quarterback Kyler Murray, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings. That departure alone makes LeFleur’s chances of success lower than they could have been.
Replacing Murray are journeymen signal-callers Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew. Both can hold down the fort, but neither is the type to put the team on their backs to consistently lead a squad to success.
Arizona also selected Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the third round with the 65th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. He’ll presumably have all the chances to succeed, but will have to wait for his chance. The Cardinals do have great weapons in tight end Trey McBride and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Michal Wilson is a solid second receiver.
They’ll be learning a new system as well, so growth could be minimal this season. LaFleur comes from the Sean McVay tree, so there could be spurts of production and signs of improvement. One issue is that McVay is in his division and knows most of the tricks and wrinkles in the scheme.
It’s partially like having the playbook of the other team ahead of a game. Mike LaFleur will obviously tweak the terminology and routes to make it his own, but for someone as prolific with offenses as McVay, he could easily sniff out the changes.
Other McVay offensive disciples like Zac Taylor (Cincinnati), Matt LaFleur (Green Bay), Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota), Liam Coen (Jacksonville), have had some success in their new homes.
Taylor (52-63-1) led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season, losing to the Rams. He’s been blessed with having Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, but also a bad defense. Matt LaFleur (76-40-1), Mike’s brother, has had the most success, making the playoffs multiple times over the last seven years.
Kevin O’Connell (43-25) has had success in a tough decision and even went 9-8 with a patchwork group under center in 2025. Liam Coen (13-4) led the Jaguars to an AFC South crown last season. Those signs are in Mike LaFleur’s favor, but there were also other factors in place.
Arizona doesn’t have Burrow or even a Trevor Lawrence. Minnesota had Justin Jefferson, who – — up until last year —proved to be quarterback-proof. Matt had Aaron Rodgers and the backing of a stable franchise in Green Bay. The Cardinals aren’t known for being one of the pre-eminent franchises in the NFL.
That, combined with playing in an insanely tough division, as well as having unspectacular options at quarterback, doesn’t bode well for Mike LaFleur’s first season. The defense gave up 488 points in 17 games. Only the Cowboys (511), Bengals (492), and Jets (503) allowed more points to opponents.
He’ll obviously have some growing pains, but matching those who came before him may be a taller task than he initially thought. The new head coach could also shock everyone and follow some of the success of his brother and others. Whatever happens, it will be an uphill battle each week simply to be competitive against the better teams in the NFL.
