Mike LaFleur’s first game as a head coach came with a surprise he didn’t see coming, and it made an already memorable night in the Hall of Fame Game feel even bigger.
Before the Arizona Cardinals faced the Carolina Panthers in the preseason matchup, LaFleur got a few words of advice from his brother, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. What Mike didn’t know was that Matt was going to appear during a pregame interview on NBC. His wife and kids were in on it, but the first-year Cardinals head coach was left genuinely caught off guard by the call.
“Really, more than all of that, just that environment. First of all, Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Hall of Fame Game, I mean, we all know the significance of that and then why you're in it,” LaFleur said.
“I mean, obviously you're going to have one of your prolific players in your franchise, a la Larry, that you get to represent for a three-and-a-half-hour window. So, that's pretty neat.”
He made it clear the setting mattered just as much as the result of the game.
“That atmosphere, albeit, again, a preseason game, I keep telling people, I'm like, ‘I'm glad I got to check that box.' Playing in Europe's pretty cool.
Getting over there is not too fun. But, once you're there, it's a cool environment,” he continued.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur surprises Mike LaFleur on NBC ahead of Mike's debut as an NFL head coach with the Arizona Cardinals.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 7, 2026
"I did not expect that right there. I appreciate that, guys. That's pretty cool. I appreciate that... Now you've got me a little bit emotional." pic.twitter.com/e0MnalpnhW
“Playing in the Super Bowl is pretty cool. And, I'm not saying this was the Super Bowl by any means, but it just was a really neat environment.
So that was first and foremost over any of it.”
The Cardinals came up short, dropping the game 33-30, but LaFleur still got the kind of early experience that comes with being in charge from the sideline. And with Arizona and Green Bay set to meet in the final week of the preseason, the LaFleur brothers will eventually get their head coach showdown, the one that has clearly been sitting in the background all along.
In Other News...
Cardinals Camp Just Raised A New Question About This QB Battle
Arizonas final open practice of camp brought a different kind of energy to State Farm Stadium, with thousands of fans turning out for the Red and White scrimmage and getting one more long look at how the roster is shaping up before the evaluation window closes. The day also gave the staff a chance to shuffle things around on the defensive side, with more reps available for players trying to carve out roles as the preseason picture gets clearer.
The quarterback battle, though, remains the main draw, and the latest scrimmage only sharpened the conversation. Love and Robinson put together strong showings, while Beck and Brissett had mixed results, leaving the competition open enough to keep people guessing after camps final public session. There was also an injury scare when Nolen left practice early, and the team did not get him back on the field, adding one more layer of concern to a stretch that already feels like it is tightening around a few key roster decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Finally Give Larry Fitzgerald The Honor Fans Wanted
Larry Fitzgerald is finally getting another piece of long-overdue recognition from the franchise that defined his career. The Cardinals announced they will retire his No. 11 jersey on Oct. 25 during a game against the Broncos, a fitting tribute for a player whose 17 seasons in Arizona made him the face of the organization for an era and a standard-bearer off the field as well.
The timing adds another layer to a year already rich with celebration for Fitzgerald, who was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Team owner Michael Bidwill pointed to Fitzgeralds professionalism and his impact on both the organization and the community, and now Cardinals fans will get one more chance to honor a player many felt had already earned this kind of place in team history. [Read more 🡒]