TEMPE, Ariz. — The broom didn’t sweep everything clean in the desert. In a move that defied conventional wisdom and stunned a frustrated fanbase, new Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur officially retained Nick Rallis as defensive coordinator on Sunday. Despite a catastrophic 3-14 campaign in 2025 that saw the defense bleed points and former head coach Jonathan Gannon fired, LaFleur is betting the house on continuity over a complete teardown.
The Brotherly Connection & The “Gannon Recommendation”
Why keep the architect of a unit that ranked near the league’s basement? The answer lies in a high-stakes game of telephone between NFL heavyweights. According to NFL insider Mike Garafolo, the endorsement came from the man who just lost his job.
Garafolo reported on PHNX Cardinals that Jonathan Gannon privately vouched for Rallis to the LaFleur family. The connection runs deep: Matt LaFleur (Packers HC) and Gannon are close, and that pipeline seemingly saved Rallis’s job.
“There’s no question in my mind that was at least relayed from Jonathan to Matt to Mike… He loves Rallis, he thinks he’s always been on point.”
— Mike Garafolo, NFL Network Insider
Mike LaFleur confirmed the retention wasn’t just a favor, but a strategic choice made after weeks of vetting. “During the interview process, I expressed that he was someone I held in high regard,” LaFleur noted, adding that Rallis commands respect across the locker room.
By The Numbers: The Risk of Running It Back
Make no mistake—this is a massive gamble. The 2025 Cardinals defense was a sieve. They surrendered 35+ points in four of their final five games, looking completely gassed as the season spiraled. The unit finished 26th in Defensive EPA (Expected Points Added), failing to stop the run or the pass when it mattered.
However, the internal argument for Rallis centers on the “injury bug.” Arizona’s depth chart was decimated last year, forcing practice squad players into starting roles. The front office believes Rallis squeezed water from a stone in 2023 and 2024, and simply ran out of healthy bodies in 2025. LaFleur is banking on a healthy roster—and perhaps a revamped scheme—to prove the critics wrong.
“I’ve had the chance to meet with him and pick his brain over the last couple weeks and am even more impressed than I was before. I know the respect he has from coaches around the league and especially with the players on this team.”
— Mike LaFleur, Cardinals Head Coach
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
With the coordinator trio now locked in, the focus shifts entirely to the NFL Draft and free agency. Arizona desperately needs to infuse talent into the defensive front seven to give Rallis a fighting chance. If the defense starts 2026 the way it finished 2025, Mike LaFleur’s honeymoon period will be nonexistent. The pressure is now squarely on Rallis to prove his former boss right and his new boss smart.
