The Cardinals were one of this offseason’s teams to split up an HC-GM combo that arrived together. Hired in 2023, the Jonathan Gannon–Monti Ossenfort duo separated after a 3-14 season. Like the Ravens, Bills, Giants, Titans, Raiders and Browns, the Cardinals will give their GM more time after canning their HC.
Arizona certainly was not at the front of this year’s line when it came to luring coaches. Rumored to want Klint Kubiak, the Cardinals pivoted once the Seahawks’ OC chose the Raiders. Enter Mike LaFleur, who will become the fourth Sean McVay OC to land a head coaching job. As Ossenfort and LaFleur face an uphill battle in a loaded NFC West, they have a big decision to make; Kyler Murray‘s days in the desert may be numbered, but a quarterback upgrade will not be easy to make this year. How will the Cards proceed with the former No. 1 overall pick?
Coaching/front office:
- Fired head coach Jonathan Gannon
- Hired Mike LaFleur as HC replacement
- Added Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator
- Retained Nick Rallis as defensive coordinator, Justin Frye as O-line coach
- Hired Matt Schaub as quarterbacks coach
- Hired Michael Ghobrial as special teams coordinator
- Pass-game specialist Connor Senger interviewed for Bears, Seahawks’ OC jobs
While a pre-Week 18 report had Gannon on the right side of the bubble, it was certainly not shocking to see a team fire a coach after a three-win season. Following a 2-0 start, the Cardinals took a historic tumble. Close losses gave way to blowouts. After the Cardinals had shown improvement during an 8-9 2024, they nosedived in a season when Murray was limited to five games. The Cards looked to be OK shelving Murray while starting Jacoby Brissett, but their defense cratered as well. This proved too much for Gannon to overcome.
