The Arizona Cardinals are turning the page with a new head coach-and they’re keeping it in the family, so to speak. Mike LaFleur, a former assistant under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, is now tasked with leading a Cardinals team that’s been stuck in the NFC West basement. It’s a move that continues the spread of Shanahan’s coaching tree, which now has branches firmly planted in every NFC West organization.
But while the LaFleur hire brings some intrigue and offensive pedigree, his first major staffing decision is raising eyebrows across the league.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Arizona is bringing in Nathaniel Hackett as its new offensive coordinator. Hackett, 46, reunites with the LaFleur family after previously serving under Mike’s older brother, Matt LaFleur, during his time with the Green Bay Packers. That stint-where Hackett helped guide a high-powered offense led by Aaron Rodgers-remains the highlight of his résumé.
Since then? It’s been a rocky road.
Hackett’s lone season as a head coach with the Denver Broncos in 2022 ended in disaster. He didn’t even make it through the full year, getting fired with two games left on the schedule. He followed that up with a two-year run as the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator, a tenure that struggled to gain traction despite high expectations and a splashy quarterback acquisition.
So now, Hackett lands in Arizona, a franchise desperate for stability and direction. The Cardinals are coming off a 3-14 season and haven’t sniffed the playoffs since 2021. They’ve got a roster in flux and big questions to answer this offseason-none bigger than what to do with quarterback Kyler Murray, who remains a polarizing figure at the center of the team’s rebuild.
There’s some speculation that Mike LaFleur could take the reins on play-calling duties, which would leave Hackett in more of a supporting role-game planning, quarterback development, and overall offensive structure. That might be the best-case scenario, given Hackett’s recent track record when handed the keys to an offense.
Still, the hire feels like a gamble. Hackett’s recent history hasn’t exactly inspired confidence, and for a team trying to claw its way back into relevance in a division stacked with contenders, every coaching move matters.
The NFC West was a gauntlet in 2025. Three of the four teams won 12 or more games and punched their ticket to the postseason.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, were the clear outlier-watching from the sidelines as their division rivals duked it out in January. Closing that gap won’t happen overnight, and it won’t happen without bold, effective leadership on both sides of the ball.
Mike LaFleur brings fresh energy and a strong offensive background. But the decision to pair him with Hackett is a curious one, especially given how high the bar is in the NFC West. For now, the rest of the division likely isn’t losing sleep over Arizona’s new-look staff.
The Cardinals are hoping this LaFleur-Hackett pairing can spark a turnaround. But based on recent history, it’s fair to question whether this is a step forward-or just more of the same.