Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur is standing firmly behind his controversial selection of Nathaniel Hackett to serve as the team’s offensive coordinator.
The 46-year-old Hackett brings 17 years of NFL coaching experience, though his recent track record has raised eyebrows. Denver dismissed him as head coach partway through the 2022 campaign, and the New York Jets stripped away his play-calling duties during his tenure there, transferring those responsibilities to Todd Downing after just one month into the 2023 season.
Most recently, Hackett worked for the Green Bay Packers in a defensive analyst role under Matt LaFleur, who happens to be Mike LaFleur’s brother.
“He’s been very successful and is very highly thought of, especially in our profession,” Mike LaFleur said.
The 38-year-old LaFleur plans to handle play-calling responsibilities for Arizona himself. During his previous role as offensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams, head coach Sean McVay managed those duties. LaFleur revealed that Hackett was his only consideration for the offensive coordinator position when he took over as Cardinals head coach in January.
“If you guys believe one thing from this press conference, it is literally: I wanted him and nobody else. And he’s here,” Mike LaFleur said.
When addressing the negative feedback surrounding his appointment, Hackett acknowledged the criticism but explained his approach to handling it.
“Learn from your adversity,” Hackett said. “Sometimes you gotta block out that noise. I’ve learned to block out that noise.”
The Cardinals face significant decisions as they rebuild their offensive system, with quarterback Kyler Murray’s future remaining uncertain. Murray could potentially be moved in a trade after sitting out 10 games last season due to a foot injury, raising ongoing questions about his durability given his substantial contract.
