Mike LaFleur Press Conference. 2/03/26. 12 p.m.

[ajcardfan]

I’m stubbornly not holding an opinion on any of it. We know Rallis has called games and plays that flummoxed opponents; I think most DCs do that at times and we don’t hear about it.

It’s really about how much trust and chemistry they have. Definitely more efficient to keep Rallis and the personnel brought in to complement his philosophy than start over somewhere else.

Yes, Rallis had some really good moments in years 1 and 2. Like I said repeatedly during the season, somehow the defensive philosophy changed. We seemed intent on rushing 4 and playing zone almost exclusively, hell or high water.

I will use the Niners game in SF in 2024 and 2025 to explain the difference. In 2024, SF has the ball and just needs a drive for a FG to win. After a first down, Rallis dials up a blitz and Jalen Thompson hits Purdy, ball floats way up into the air, and Kyzir White intercepts, Cardinals win! 2025, Mac Jones is playing QB and we see the same scenario. This time, no blitzes. Rush 4, play zone, they go right down the field and kick a FG at the gun.

Same scenario, Titans and Seahawks game. And almost the Panthers game except that time Calais got a sack.

So, if LaFleur keeps Rallis I hope he makes it clear that we are going to be more aggressive.

 

[BritCard]

Jacoby B regressed to the mean

As back ups usually do

Brit....uncalled for!

Or you can just say he’s an awful owner.

Why would you or anyone else give a crap?

Surprised at you.

Dude. WTH? This post was totally uncalled for.

WTF is wrong with you guys?

What is uncalled for is that apparently you're not allowed to talk about someone possibly being gay and you all just assume it's a slight.

I couldn't care less if he's gay or not, but it's also not something we should treat as a taboo. It matters in that he has no kids, and is now unlikely to have any, which is relevant to the point about continued ownership. So none of us have a clue what the future of the team might be after Mike.

When Daddy Bidwill was in his 60's Mike was already lined up to take over. As things stand right now we have no idea.

 

[Chopper0080]

I’m stubbornly not holding an opinion on any of it. We know Rallis has called games and plays that flummoxed opponents; I think most DCs do that at times and we don’t hear about it.

It’s really about how much trust and chemistry they have. Definitely more efficient to keep Rallis and the personnel brought in to complement his philosophy than start over somewhere else.

In general I am in wait and see mode as well.

 

[TheCardFan]

Donnie Druin
@DonnieDruin
·
58s
LaFleur on if he's looking for any sort of type at coordinator: "We are casting a wide net and there's convos that need to be had within this building first. We're gonna be open to that."

This means that they are behind the curve and MLF was hired without staff commitments. You can't be the last of 10 new HC's to be hired and wait until Feb 3 to cast a wide net.

Gannon was the last person hired and his staff was awful. You get the leftovers

 

[MadCardDisease]

WTF is wrong with you guys?

What is uncalled for is that apparently you're not allowed to talk about someone possibly being gay and you all just assume it's a slight.

I couldn't care less if he's gay or not, but it's also not something we should treat as a taboo. It matters in that he has no kids, and is now unlikely to have any, which is relevant to the point about continued ownership. So none of us have a clue what the future of the team might be after Mike.

When Daddy Bidwill was in his 60's Mike was already lined up to take over. As things stand right now we have no idea.

Drop it. Final warning.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

This means that they are behind the curve and MLF was hired without staff commitments. You can't be the last of 10 new HC's to be hired and wait until Feb 3 to cast a wide net.

Gannon was the last person hired and his staff was awful. You get the leftovers

Gannon brought in his guys. They were not good, but they were his.

 

[slanidrac16]

WTF is wrong with you guys?

What is uncalled for is that apparently you're not allowed to talk about someone possibly being gay and you all just assume it's a slight.

I couldn't care less if he's gay or not, but it's also not something we should treat as a taboo. It matters in that he has no kids, and is now unlikely to have any, which is relevant to the point about continued ownership. So none of us have a clue what the future of the team might be after Mike.

When Daddy Bidwill was in his 60's Mike was already lined up to take over. As things stand right now we have no idea.

It’s not taboo. It’s just not necessary and has nothing to do with football.

 

[kerouac9]

Gannon brought in his guys. They were not good, but they were his.

Were they his first choices though?

 

[RON_IN_OC]

Were they his first choices though?

If memory serves they were hired pretty quickly and I don't remember a slew of interviews being talked about.

 

[schutd]

Sorry to piss on everyone’s parade...

No youre not

 

[PDXChris]

Gannon brought in his guys. They were not good, but they were his.

There were great ones and they got promoted to leave and JG replaced them with inferior coaches. That was a big part of the 2025 collapse.

 

[Totally_Red]

There were great ones and they got promoted to leave and JG replaced them with inferior coaches. That was a big part of the 2025 collapse.

Klayton Adams to name one.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Donnie Druin
@DonnieDruin
·
2m
Ossenfort on what made LaFleur the clear winner: Everything about his experience and people he's been around. Multiple successful teams, schemes and his own intelligence. Can't point to one thing but cited totality.

I actually hate that answer. IMO it means “we didn’t have a good reason but liked who his brother is and that he was with the rams.”

 

[Jersey Girl]

Jim Omohundro
https://x.com/jimohms
@jimohms
·
2h


In an interview with @CraigAZSports and @PaulCalvisi, new #AZCardinals coach Mike LaFleur joked about brother Matt LaFleur’s attendance at his presser: “He showed up because he’s going to the @WMPhoenixOpen. Let’s be real right there

I miss when Jim O posted here. Great guy.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Okay on the negative side he used a lot of ums and ers

Needs to clean that up

Maybe after a little more time in front of the camera he will calm down

Can't be doing this in front of the team

It shows hesitation

This behavior doesn’t indicate hesitation; it reflects a common conversational habit. In everyday dialogue, people often use verbal fillers as a way to “hold the microphone” while completing a thought, signaling that they are not finished and discouraging interruption. Because this behavior is largely subconscious, it frequently carries over into public speaking.

In a presentation setting, however, the dynamic is different. The speaker already owns the microphone, and there is no risk of being interrupted. Verbal fillers such as “uh,” “um,” or “so” are therefore unnecessary. We emphasize this distinction when coaching employees on public speaking: a brief pause to complete a thought does not diminish the audience’s experience or respect for the speaker, nor will it invite interruption.

Most people are unaware they rely on these fillers because they are accustomed to conversational environments, where speaking often involves implicit competition for airtime. Recognizing this difference is a key step in developing more polished and effective presentation skills.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It’s not taboo. It’s just not necessary and has nothing to do with football.

It was phrased oddly, but the point he made in the follow up was one I hadn’t thought of. Mike B has no children. I don’t know the breakdown of ownership of the club, but means he doesn’t have what we would consider obvious direct heirs for the team within the family. I do think it likely the team remains with the family, but it’s a legit football-related point to consider. There may actually be a world where some ASFNers see a Cardinals team sans the Bidwill family.

 

[daves]

It was phrased oddly, but the point he made in the follow up was one I hadn’t thought of. Mike B has no children. I don’t know the breakdown of ownership of the club, but means he doesn’t have what we would consider obvious direct heirs for the team within the family. I do think it likely the team remains with the family, but it’s a legit football-related point to consider. There may actually be a world where some ASFNers see a Cardinals team sans the Bidwill family.

I always wondered (sometimes on this forum, but never saw an explanation) how the Bidwill "kids" paid the estate tax on the team when Billy Bidwill died. Presumably they had been stocking away hundreds of millions in cash for years - which gave them even more reasons to be cheap during the Sr. years.

As the Bidwill siblings die off, the others will still own their shares, but without Michael having a family, I wonder what the plan is for his shares of the team? Would the other siblings sell a majority share to a new owner?

 

[phillycard]

I have to say I like his passion a lot more than JG. He's brimming with enthusiasm and positivity right now.

Shoooooot. Low bar IMO. I side eyed Gannon the moment he walked in that building.

 

[some dumb guy]

This behavior doesn’t indicate hesitation; it reflects a common conversational habit. In everyday dialogue, people often use verbal fillers as a way to “hold the microphone” while completing a thought, signaling that they are not finished and discouraging interruption. Because this behavior is largely subconscious, it frequently carries over into public speaking.

In a presentation setting, however, the dynamic is different. The speaker already owns the microphone, and there is no risk of being interrupted. Verbal fillers such as “uh,” “um,” or “so” are therefore unnecessary. We emphasize this distinction when coaching employees on public speaking: a brief pause to complete a thought does not diminish the audience’s experience or respect for the speaker, nor will it invite interruption.

Most people are unaware they rely on these fillers because they are accustomed to conversational environments, where speaking often involves implicit competition for airtime. Recognizing this difference is a key step in developing more polished and effective presentation skills.

Excellent explanation....thank you

 

[Harry]

That 2008 SB team went 9-7 because the NFCW was trash. In today’s NFCW, that team would have won 5-6 games, even with a HOF QB Warner. Warner and Palmer played in systems that not just allowed them to take risks, but literally encouraged them to take risks. Let’s never forget “no risk it, no biscuit philosophy of BA. And Todd Haley’s philosophy wasn’t much different. Compare that mentality to what Murray had with KK & Petzing.

My point is that with Bidwill, and any Bidwill, this organization has NEVER been able to maintain longer stretches of success. You can go all the way back to the 60’s and it’s like watching Groundhog Day over and over again. Charley Winner had this team on the cusp of being special, then a season of debilitating injuries would set them back & old man Bidwill fired him. The same thing happened with Coryell in the 70’s. They go 10-4, 11-3, 10-4. They don’t make the playoffs in 76 with a 10-4 record, only because the Cowboys decided to sit starters against the Redskins in the last week & we lose on a tiebreaker. The following year in 77, we lose a ton of guys to injuries, finish 7-7, and Bidwill fires Coryell. The same thing happens in the 80’s with Jim Hanifan. Hanifan had built a really good team in 83 & 84. Then in 85, another injury plagued season & Hanifan was shown the door. The early years in AZ cannot even be explained as they were forced to play to play brutal road schedules to avoid the heat of playing outdoors at Sun Devil Stadium. And the NFCE then was like the NFCW now. Enter Michael & there are stretches of fun football with Tobin, Whiz, BA, and even KK. But, in every instance, it was fleeting success. And in every case, when that fleeting success ended, we would hit rock bottom. Groundhog Day all over again. And that story has been the case for as long as I’ve watched this franchise play. It’s not on any player, or any coach. It’s 100% on ownership. Michael talked a big game about sustained success when he hired JG. But just like his Daddy, whenever injuries beset real progress, he did exactly what his Daddy ALWAYS did. He moved on. I really do like LaFleur & I hope we see some success with him. But, this is the NFL & there are injuries. Even HOF coaches like Shanahan & McVay have had atrocious seasons due to injuries. The difference is that their ownerships didn’t fire them. Even if LaFleur shows steady progress, if he has an injury plagued season like KK had in 2022 or JG had in 2025, the Bidwills will do what they have ALWAYS done. They’ll start from scratch all over again……..GROUNDHOG DAY.

One of the problems with success is the people that achieved it tend to want more money. That’s not a Bidwill philosophy.

 

[WisconsinCard]

I miss when Jim O posted here. Great guy.

I got the pleasure to sit next to his mom and sister at the Superbowl. Very nice folks. They were both crying after the game as it was her dad and husbands last game as our trainer as well.

 

[jf-08]

I always wondered (sometimes on this forum, but never saw an explanation) how the Bidwill "kids" paid the estate tax on the team when Billy Bidwill died. Presumably they had been stocking away hundreds of millions in cash for years - which gave them even more reasons to be cheap during the Sr. years.

As the Bidwill siblings die off, the others will still own their shares, but without Michael having a family, I wonder what the plan is for his shares of the team? Would the other siblings sell a majority share to a new owner?

I'm sure everything is held in trusts which negate the estate taxes.