Matt LaFleur and Jonathan Gannon Running (and Ruining) the Cardinals
By Walter Mitchell
After the dust had settled on the Cardinals hiring of Mike LaFleur, it became clear that Mike LaFleur came to Arizona with no concrete coaching staff plans, other than tabbing Nathaniel Hackett as the team's new offensive coordinator.
In retrospect, it's easy to understand why Mike LaFleur was so appealing to Michael Bidwill and Monti Ossenfort, who, all along, wanted to keep Nick Rallis as the defensive coordinator, Justin Frye as the offensive line coach and a handful of other holdover assistants.
Despite creating the illusion that the Cardinals were interested in moving on from Rallis by interviewing a who's who of experienced and up-and-coming defensive coordinator candidates, only to pivot away from all of them at the last minute in announcing Rallis' return.
The Cardinals' decision to retain Nick Rallis was aided and abetted by Matt LaFleur and his new DC Jonathan Gannon by virtue of Gannon's assurance to Matt LaFleur that Rallis is the right choice because, as Gannon put it, "Nick Rallis is on point" in every aspect of running the defense. Matt LaFleur was eager to pass Gannon's recommendation on to his brother Mike.
What's mystifying about Mike LaFleur's amenability to accept Bidwill's and Ossenfort's holdovers is that any head coach will tell you, the best practice is to "hire your own guys." Why Matt LaFleur didn't impress the significance of that customary hiring practice on to his little brother as a condition for taking the Cardinals' job, does not speak well about Matt LaFleur's guidance or his football integrity.
Of course, after what Cardinals' players and fans saw from Jonathan Gannon over the last three years, does not speak well with regard to his football integrity.
Some will say, but wait, the players gave Jonathan Gannon a B+ this past year.
Ranking all 32 NFL coaches from 2025 based on their leaked NFLPA report card grade - CBS Sports
Grade: B+
Coaches: Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, Falcons coach Raheem Morris.
Notes: Apparently, this is the grade that no coach should want. Both Morris and Gannon were fired following the 2025 season.
Note: the two questions the players are asked to grade about the head coach are:
(1) Does he make good use of the players' time?
(2) Is his door open to the players whenever they have a concern or want to offer their input?
Note: 20 head coaches received A grades.
But get this ---
Worst grades
We're going to lump the final six coaches together since they landed the worst grades.
B-: Packers coach Matt LaFleur, Titans coach Brian Callahan/Mike McCoy
C+: Raiders coach Pete Carroll, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh
C: Giants coach Brian Daboll/Mike Kafka
C-: Browns coach Kevin Stefanski
This vote from the players was taken the week before the Packers' 5-game losing streak to end the season.
Fallout from the Packers' loss to the Bears in the playoffs:
Packers fans put Matt LaFleur through the grater after epic collapse vs. Bears (yahoo.com)
“Casual fans are just going to blame Brandon McManus for this loss,” one fan tweeted. “How about 3 straight punts to start the second half? Matt LaFleur has been the issue with the Packers since 2019. He should have been fired after making one of the worst decisions in NFL history.”
“Six points scored in the second half,” another frustrated fan reacted. “Wasted two timeouts because you weren’t ready and STILL got a delay of game after the timeout. Seven points lost because you kept a kicker who’s struggled all year. This was a coaching disaster class by the #Packers Matt LaFleur.”
It was not just fans bashing him. NBA analyst and NFL fan Bill Simmons called LaFleur’s game “one of the worst playoff coaching performances this century.
“Matt LaFleur’s second half has to be on the short list of worst playoff coaching performances this century,” Simmons tweeted.
Ben Johnson, who during the season said he took special pride in "beating Matt LaFleur twice" has this to say to his football team after their 24-22 upset of the Packers: (warning: profanity)
https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/2010240535018267067?s=20
Truth is the Packers lost their last 5 games, losing two close games to the Bears. The first loss was a 22-16 OT loss at Soldier Field. Jordan Love left the game with a concussion and Malik Willis played strong in relief, however the Bears roared back to tie the game in regulation, and the Packers were forced to punt on their possession in overtime. Then in 4 plays the Bears closed out the win on a 46-yard TD pass from Caleb Williams to D.J. Moore.
Malik Willis played well again the next week, albeit in a 41-24 drubbing by the Ravens at Lambeau Field. However, Willis suffered shoulder and hamstring injuries that forced him to miss the Week 18 game versus the Vikings, wherein Clayton Tune was asked to lead the 2nd team offense versus Brian Flores' starting defense. After the 16-3 loss, the Packers cut Clayton Tune in favor of activating Desmond Ridder to the 53-man roster. Tune had zero chance in that game under those circumstances.
So now comes part two of Matt LaFleur's influence on the Cardinals' off-season plans. He has recommended that his brother sign UFA QB Malik Willis, with 6 career NFL starts, to what is being projected as a 2-year $64M contract.
*RT Jemaine Eleumuor ($9M/yr.),
* G Tevin Jenkins ($2.5M/yr.)
* WR Jalen Nailor ($4.8M a yr.)
* DT Sheldon Rankins ($7.5M/yr.)
* CB Roger McCreary.($6.2M).
Total: That's $30M + Jacoby's $9.2M (already counted on the cap) reasons to hold on to Brissett.
Like Ben Johnson said to his Bears, "F#^% the Packers."
If indeed Mike is listening to brother Matt & Gannon to outfit his team with coaches and players it would lead to new level of ineptitude.
ReplyDeleteWillis at 30+M/yr - No Thank You!
MO --> Get the FA list Walt has selected instead, at least that will fill a few roster holes, leading to overall improvement of team play. Draft a late round development QB, or better yet, wait until 2027. If Cardinals are going to pick-up a QB in FA, he better be on a one year prove it deal (I like Marriotta of available QB's).
Failed decision making, oh-boy, don't get me started! It all comes down to a Bidwill!!!
Wouldn't it be nice to just have one season without all the lies, secrets, and drama of the cloudy day which never seems to go away (in Arizona blue sky state)....dream, dream, dream...
Spot on Buddy! Gannon will cost LaFluer his job and MB will make Mike Lafluer his next scapegoat. LaFluer was hired because MB can control him as evident by the position coaches he forced on him. Mike LaFluer took the job because it was his only opportunity to be HC (duh). LaFluer couldn't attract any quality position coaches because he himself wasn't a quality position coach and has zero rep in the coaching ranks. Someone would have to be Coaching Moses with a bucket of cash to attract successful experienced coaching talent to the Cards Organization.
ReplyDeleteI said during the coaching search(out of fantasy or continued ignorance) that we need a coach who would mange MO/MB, not the other way around. OOPS
Trust fund baby Michael tried having a coach who would manage him and the front office in Bruce Arians, and in spite of the team being the most successful it's ever been, he has avoided pursuing any coach with a strong personality since.
DeleteI agree. Right now, Jacoby earned the right to compete for the starting QB position in 2026. To move on from him right now would be ignorant and why this team might actually do it. A little off topic but I was thinking about Kyler Murray this morning and what he had to deal with entering the NFL.
ReplyDelete1. His first HC had never coached an NFL game in any capacity in his life.
2. He was the starting QB his rookie season with that rookie HC
3. He started his rookie season on a Cardinals team that went 3-13 the year before
4. Kylers second HC was also a rookie HC with a defensive background
5. Kylers first GM had a drinking problem and was slowly phased out in an odd dysfunctional way
6. Kylers second GM is rookie who was obviously in over his head when he took the position and is still learning as he goes.
7. I'm sure there is more
Anyone who has seen my posts know that I have wanted to move on from Kyler for years now and was against that big contract extension but I wanted to move on from Kyler because I felt like he was on the wrong team, not because he isn't a good QB. I think KM is a talented QB who may or may not be ruined from his 7 seasons on a consistently terrible dysfunctional team. I personally would love to see Kyler go to a team, have a huge amount of success and throw it in this organizations face because this organization does not care enough about its fan base to change their futile modus of operandi.
I think it's fairly common for #1 pick QBs to have rookie head coaches because teams bad enough to get the #1 pick almost always fire their coach, and experienced coaches usually don't want to go to bad teams.
DeleteWalter, does any of Mike’s siblings have any power to gang up and take away his power or was it set up by his father.
ReplyDelete