Why the Cardinals hire of Mike LaFleur is bad news for the Rams

The Los Angeles Rams are losing their offensive coordinator as he is becoming the next head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals announced Sunday that they’ve hired Mike LaFleur as head coach, agreeing to a five-year contract.  

Arizona also met with Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak on Saturday night, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that he is expected to become the next head coach of the Raiders.

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Mike LaFleur is the younger brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. The 38-year-old replaces Jonathan Gannon, who was fired as Arizona’s coach and has since landed in Green Bay as defensive coordinator.

LaFleur is the sixth straight head coach hired by the Cardinals who does not have permanent NFL head coaching experience.  

LaFleur didn’t call plays for the Rams but helped shape the Rams into one of the elite offenses in the NFL. LaFleur has made a number stops throughout his NFL career, including with the Jets, 49ers, Falcons and Browns.

The hiring means the Rams will need to find a new offensive coordinator as the Sean McVay coaching tree continues to grow.  

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"I couldn't be more fired up to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and am beyond grateful to Michael and [general manager] Monti [Ossenfort] for this opportunity," LaFleur said in a statement to ESPN. "Having competed against them in the NFC so many times in recent years, I know the type of talent and toughness the team has and cannot wait to get to Arizona to hit the ground running."

LaFleur inherits a team that finished 3-14 last season, owns the third pick the draft and has a major question mark at quarterback. It’s currently unknown if Kyler Murray will be on the team next season.

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