One more win would put the Los Angeles Rams back in the Super Bowl for the third time under Sean McVay’s watch. While the head coach wants his team to fully grasp the weight of that reality, the Arizona Cardinals’ latest decision adds a new distraction for the team.
“Mike LaFleur is believed to be the frontrunner for this job, per sources,” NFL reporter Connor Hughes shared on X. “Would be a big opportunity for the former #Jets OC.”
“Would be a wild offseason for ex-Jets. Robert Saleh is the Titans’ new HC. LaFleur to the Cardinals. Joe Douglas had a good interview for the Falcons GM job.”
Notably, the Cardinals are one of just two teams LaFleur has virtually met with this winter, with the other one being the Las Vegas Raiders. Even though Raider Nation’s interest remains unclear, the Cardinals are still very much in play.
LaFleur has been calling plays for the Rams for three seasons. Before that, he ran the offense for the Packers from 2021 to 2022 under Robert Saleh. LaFleur also spent four seasons shaping passing games with the 49ers, plus stints with Kyle Shanahan in ATL and Cleveland.
Still, the Cardinals’ job comes with layers. On one hand, LaFleur would face his former team twice every year. On the other hand, the franchise is still sorting out its future with Kyler Murray. That uncertainty makes the role risky, even if the upside is real.
For now, LaFleur is stuck in wait mode. Because the Rams are alive in the NFC title game, he cannot speak to any team again until next week. If the Rams reach the Super Bowl, interviews will be open until Feb. 1.
However, this latest update is the kind of noise McVay does not want. With everything on the line against Seattle, even small distractions matter.
Sean McVay stares at history as the NFC Championship game comes closer
As the Rams get ready to step into the chaos of Lumen Field this Sunday, the stakes could not be higher. Yes, a Super Bowl LX ticket is on the line. However, for Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford, this run is about more than one game. It is about pushing their names into a rare space reserved for the greatest coach and quarterback duos the league has ever seen.
In their first season together in 2021, Stafford rewrote the Rams’ record book with 4,886 passing yards and 41 touchdowns. More importantly, the move paid off fast. The Rams did not just win games. They justified a massive trade that cost two first-round picks and changed the direction of the franchise overnight.
Then came the moment that still defines them. The peak of their connection lives in the closing minutes of Super Bowl LVI. A 15-play, 79-yard drive that showed their football “brain-meld” in full view. Late in the fourth quarter against the Bengals, with no run game and no margin for error, Stafford took command. His no-look throw to Cooper Kupp stopped the defense cold, kept hope alive, and opened the door for the winning score.
Eventually, that march ended in a 23-20 win. With it, McVay lifted the Lombardi and became the youngest head coach to do it at 36. It also sealed the bet on Stafford and reshaped how his entire career would be remembered.
Now, if the Rams survive the noise of Seattle and go on to grab a second ring together in Santa Clara, it’ll become all-time. And amid growing chatter around his staff, the real question is how McVay keeps the Rams steady when history is calling.
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