Time goes by fast.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur has already led the team for nine weeks in his first season. During that time, Arizona has endured some very ugly moments and losses. While that stems from poor teambuilding and management, it also falls on the head coach.

What areas has LaFleur been at fault for, and could the Cardinals move on from him?

Mike LaFleur's Poor Track Record

During his tenure, LaFleur's offense in Arizona has lacked much of the creativity and excitement usually associated with a play-calling trees under Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. Across the league, many play callers from that tree (Liam Coen of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Klint Kubiak of the Las Vegas Raiders, and Mike's brother, Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers) have shown the great play-calling many Cardinal fans expected from LaFleur.

The poor play-calling has really reared its ugly head in the red zone. After Week 9, Arizona ranks last in red-zone TD percentage at just 44%. While the Cardinals' offense has major personnel issues, many of its top players including tight end Trey McBride has the tools and traits to be great red-zone targets.

Before calling plays for the Cardinals, LaFleur did the same for the New York Jets. LaFleur lasted only two years with the Jets, from 2021-22. The biggest issue with LaFleur in New York was his inability to develop quarterback Zach Wilson, who was drafted in 2021 and showed great traits coming out of BYU. 

Of all LaFleur's issues, this is the most worrying. If Arizona fans want a great quarterback in next year's class, LaFleur's poor development of Wilson could be considered a huge red flag.

There's a Precedent for Firing Coaches After One Season

While this might seem like a crazy idea to let a head coach go after one season, it has happened in the NFL, specifically with this team. Eight years ago, the Cardinals fired Steve Wilks after just one season. 

Before joining Arizona, Wilks was the defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers' defense during this era was one of the league's better units. The Wilks hire was seen as a solid move, yet after one bad year, he was gone.

Speaking of Cardinals coaches, their offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, is another example. Hackett was hired in 2022 to be the head coach of the Denver Broncos. However, he did not complete his first year, as he was fired before the season even ended.

During this decade, eight head coaches have been fired after just one season. That list includes big names like Pete Carroll after his 2025 stint with the Las Vegas Raiders and Urban Meyer after coaching the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. If Arizona does let LaFleur go after one season, it wouldn't be eye-opening by NFL standards.

However, the biggest reason the Cardinals could move on from LaFleur is how many amazing head-coaching candidates there are. From offensive-minded coordinators to defensive gurus to proven coaches, this upcoming cycle has them all.

Starting with the latter, Mike Tomlin could be an option. Many Arizona fans have bad taste with Tomlin's Pittsburgh Steelers, as they beat the Cardinals in Super Bowl 43. However, Tomlin never had a losing record with the Steelers and made the postseason 13 times during his 19-year tenure with Pittsburgh.

Sean McDermott, who recently coached the Buffalo Bills, could also be a tremendous option. McDermott, who coached the Bills for eight years, helped build a winning culture and develop quarterback Josh Allen.

Among defensive coordinators who could be head coaches, what better option is there than Brian Flores? Flores has done an amazing job with the Minnesota Vikings defense this year. There is also Anthony Campanile, whom the Cardinals did interview last year before hiring LaFleur.

On the offensive side, there are some exciting and intriguing names, including Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Each has a different approach to building explosive, fun offenses.

Overall, LaFleur could be an amazing head coach. There are glimpses of great moments. However, the lack of consistency and a strong head-coaching pool just might push Arizona to move on.

Ultimately, time will tell how the Cardinals' head coaching job turns out.