While Arizona Cardinals fans lost their minds over the decision to bring back Nick Rallis as the team’s defensive coordinator, it was clear that new head coach Mike LaFleur was more focused on what had impressed the Cardinals in 2025 than on the opinions of those fans.
In an interview with Cardinals reporter Dani Surek 10 days after being introduced to the media, LaFleur was asked what impact the team’s defence had on him after playing against them six times over the past three seasons.
“We had some rough days against this defence,” he said.
For those who suffer from these comments and have a severe case of collective dementia, consider that Aries scored a total of 23 points in two games against the Cardinals in 2024.
Regarding the issues from last season, LaFleur commented, “Looking ahead to this year (2025), every year brings changes. The first time we play them is approximately 11 or 12 weeks into the NFL season, which will be our 11th game.” And I remember (quarterback) Mathieu (Stafford’s record seems like Tuesday). Really good. “Defence because there are players.”
Of course, many understand, except those who live in a coach-and-bad bubble. LaFleur clearly understood this when he noted, “Unfortunately, a lot of those players weren’t out there, especially in the first half of the season.” So, my responsibility, along with the team’s, is to ensure that our best players perform consistently on the field.
In the NFL, game planning and in-game calls depend on players’ abilities and availability. The facts are that 21 defensive players have missed 161 games in the 2025 season. He was on the reserve list due to injury during the season. In the last nine games, 19 players have missed 82 games. It warrants attention, though many people disregard it.
As LaFleur said in a statement Friday,
“Nick is someone I’ve always had a lot of respect for, especially going up against him in the department over the last three years. During the interview process, I expressed that he’s someone I hold in high regard and was very interested in talking about the position.”
“Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and learn from him, and I’m more impressed than ever.” I know he has the respect of coaches around the league and especially the players on this team, and that says a lot to me.”
Even if the loudest outside narrative believes they know more than those who watch hours of tape while working on the sport, it doesn’t change the truth.
