We’ve seen Mike LaFleur address three vacancies on the offensive side of the ball so far, as he has hired his offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach, and running backs coach. He is doing everything he can to prepare his offense for whatever is ahead in 2026.
LaFleur brought in former offensive coordinator and head coach Nathaniel Hackett to call the plays this season. Tony Sorrentino was hired from the Minnesota Vikings’ staff to become the full-time wide receivers coach. Finally, the Cardinals have brought in Matt Merritt, the running backs coach at the University of Miami, to take over the same role but at the pro level.
However, we have yet to see the first-time head coach make any significant moves on the defensive side of the ball. LaFleur has conducted interviews for the defensive coordinator role, but has not decided on who would land the job with the team. One of the candidates that the Cardinals have requested to interview comes from LaFleur’s old ball club in Los Angeles, as Aubrey Pleasant, the team’s assistant passing game coordinator, has an interview scheduled.
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Another candidate is starting to make waves in the media, and he comes from another division rival. The Cardinals have an interview scheduled with Seattle Seahawks passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Karl Scott.
Scott, 40, played a huge role in the secondary's success throughout all of 2025. Having the opportunity to coach up Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori, Julian Love, and Riq Woolen in a run to a Super Bowl victory.
If LaFleur can convince Scott to depart a staff role on a defense that just won a Super Bowl, that would be an A+ hire for the Cardinals.