The Arizona Cardinals have kept more staffers from the old regime around than previously expected, with the key one being defensive coordinator Nick Rallis. But the team, and Mike LaFleur specifically, chose to run it back with another key piece in the offensive system.
The Cardinals brought back passing game specialist Connor Senger for the 2026 season, allowing him to retain the same role he had served in 2025. What Senger was able to do doesn’t show up in a coach’s stat sheet, but he did more than you know.
Partially responsible for the development of Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Wilson, Senger was a key reason why the offense was able to stay somewhat competitive. Being heavily reliant on the pass game was important for success, as the lack of running back depth and injuries to the position really hurt the team.
Senger was interviewed by the Seattle Seahawks for their vacant offensive coordinator role after Klint Kubiak took the head coaching job in Las Vegas, but he ultimately decided to remain in Arizona.
Senger, 30, has only been coaching in the NFL since 2022, and his experience has only been with the Cardinals organization. Starting out working for the Bill Bidwell Fellowship in 2022, to becoming an offensive quality control coach in 2023, Senger’s experience has led to him keeping his job with Arizona under newly hired head coach Mike LaFleur.Â
Before coming to Arizona in 2022, Senger served as a quarterbacks coach for the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Carroll University. This experience led to him landing the job as running backs coach with University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2019. After a single season with them, he left to become an offensive quality control coordinator at North Dakota State University. This experience led him to land the job with Arizona.
It makes sense why some teams clean house after hiring their head coach, but at the same time, having a little continuity doesn’t hurt anything. It will be interesting to see how Senger does underneath offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett this upcoming season.