Klint Kubiak has decided on which team he will coach in 2026, and it won’t be the Arizona Cardinals. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Kubiak intends to take the Las Vegas Raiders head coach job.
That’s a huge blow, if not an unexpected one. The Cardinals were already longshots to land the Seattle Seahawks‘ offensive coordinator. With Kubiak going to the Raiders, that means Arizona will be the last team to fill its head coach vacancy.
That doesn’t come as a surprise, as the Cardinals are viewed as the worst situation for any prospective head coach.
Former and current NFL players seem to reinforce that idea. Offensive tackle Taylor Lewan, who played for the Tennessee Titans from 2014-22, described the job as “not for the faint of heart”. San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner memed on the Cardinals. Former Cardinal JJ Watt blames the quarterback situation for pushing top candidates away.
“Right now, they need to figure out what their quarterback situation is for the future,” Watt said on the Pat McAfee Show on January 27. “When you’re a head-coaching candidate and you’re sitting there and looking at opportunities, the No. 1 first thing you’re looking at is who’s the quarterback of the team and is this somebody that I can build off of. Am I going to tie myself to this and my personal success, knowing this might be my only shot at the apple? Can this be my future?”
Where Do Cardinals Go From Here?
With the Cardinals missing out on Kubiak, the question is, where do they go from here?
Before taking a Hail Mary shot on their last coaching interview, it appeared that Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur was their guy. Arizona had taken LaFleur out to dinner as part of their second interview. He ultimately left Arizona without an offer, as the Cardinals turned their sights on Kubiak.
The Cardinals could theoretically turn around and see if LaFleur is still interested in the job. Other finalists include Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris.
If the Cardinals seal the deal on LaFleur, they need to round out their staff quickly. With a first-time head coach from the offensive side of the ball, it makes sense to pair him with a veteran defensive coach. It worked to some degree, as Vance Joseph worked with Kliff Kingsbury from 2019-22.
A LaFleur-Morris pairing offers a similar dynamic. Morris has coached two different teams and won a Super Bowl as a defensive coordinator with the Rams.
If LaFleur turns down the job, that creates a disaster scenario. It would send more shockwaves around the NFL that the Cardinals are not a desirable job. They’ll still hire someone to take the role, with only 32 such jobs available. But it’s looking more like a bungled search and an indictment of team owner Michael Bidwill, and how he runs the team.
Bidwill could scapegoat general manager Monti Ossenfort for the coaching search taking as long as it did, but all eyes are on him. The next week will be critical for the Cardinals.
Cardinals HC Search Continues After Losing Top Coaching Candidate to Raiders