In one of the less surprising moves of “Black Monday”, the Arizona Cardinals relieved head coach Jonathan Gannon of his duties, ending his three-year run as their coach in which he won 15 of 51 games and failed to lead Arizona to the playoffs.
While it didn’t work out with him leading the charge, he should still garner an alot of interest in returning to a defensive coordinator role.
Here are seven candidates who I think could fit in Arizona to try and right the ship.
7) Klayton Adams
Klayton Adams is the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, and his talent with the run game was evident in the revitalization of Javonte Williams’ career. Before this season, Adams worked in Arizona as the offensive line coach, so he has extensive familiarity with the system in place there.
I would say he is more of a dark-horse option, but I see it being a fantastic fit if the Cardinals choose to go that route.
6) Chris Shula
Chris Shula is following in the footsteps of his lineage, with his grandfather, Don, being the winningest coach in NFL history, and his dad, Dave, playing in the NFL and coaching for a few years as well. But don’t let his name fool you, he is not just a candidate because of that; he has been the defensive coordinator for Sean McVay’s Rams for the last two seasons, and had a defense that was stellar when it mattered most, which was 7th in the NFL in third down percentage and number five in turnovers per game.
If it wasn’t such a tricky rebuild ahead in Arizona, I would have him at the top of this list, but the fact that they may go for someone with more experience building an offense has me just monitoring his fit for now.
5) Matt Nagy
Shifting to a more offensive-minded coach, Matt Nagy has been instrumental in building the Chiefs’ dynasty that we have seen over recent years, and could be looking for an opportunity to lead a team that has playmakers to unlock their potential.
Nagy’s first term as a head coach came with the Chicago Bears, where he was hired in 2018 and lasted four seasons. The Bears went to the playoffs in two of Nagy’s four seasons, but he lost both playoff games. He will look to build something more sustainable wherever he lands, but Arizona could do way worse than Nagy, who has led Kansas City’s offense to multiple Super Bowls.
4) Drew Petzing
The most recent offensive coordinator for Arizona, Drew Petzing, is a very interesting candidate to fill the head coaching vacancy. While the rushing game had a tough time building any sort of momentum this year with a multitude of injuries, the passing game took a massive leap forward, despite an extended absence from Kyler Murray.
In fact, the Arizona passing offense ranked seventh in the NFL in both passing yards and touchdowns. If Petzing were given the opportunity to take over this team and the running game stabilized, the offense could become prolific relatively quickly.
3) Klint Kubiak
With all eyes on chasing a title this season, Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak will be a hot name for any coaching vacancy this offseason. A Seahawks team that did not have much expectation going into the season became among the most prolific teams in the NFL quickly, ranking first in win percentage and point differential, and also third in total points.
This would be Kubiak’s first role as head coach in the NFL, and I think he is more than capable of righting the ship in Arizona, pulling the strings to make this offense run smoothly and improve the run game.
2) Joe Brady
Joe Brady is in his fifth season as an offensive coordinator in the NFL, third with the Buffalo Bills, and he has been linked to many openings, both past and current. Brady took the rushing attack in Buffalo to another level this season, with the team leading the league in rushing and being the third-best offense overall, per our PFSN Offense Rankings, with an impact score of 86.5, best of his tenure.
It looks like Brady very clearly understands what it takes to run a good offense consistently, and this would be great to maximize the offensive weapons they have, and if they go out and upgrade at RB?
1) Mike LaFleur
Younger brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, Mike, and his work with this incredible Rams offense have earned him a place as the top fit for the Cardinals. I think the younger LaFleur brother has the potential to be a star coach with his consistently elite offenses, and with good options that he really gets the most out of. LaFleur has also seen firsthand what it takes to beat defenses in this division.
If Arizona does not hire him, I expect him to get a head coaching job somewhere else in short order, as his combination of knowing exactly what he needed from a talent and trust standpoint to execute offense at an extremely high level. This year, it may lead to an MVP for Matthew Stafford and/or a championship in LA.
