Mike LaFleur has learned from some of the NFL's best coaches. Now he'll try to turn around the Cards

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Mike LaFleur has spent more than a decade in the NFL learning from some of the best in the coaching profession.

Now he'll try to use that knowledge to turn around the Arizona Cardinals, who have usually been among the league's worst teams over the same time period.

“If it were easy, it wouldn't be worth it,” LaFleur said. “We know the work we've got in front of us.”

The 38-year-old — who comes to the Cardinals after three seasons as the Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator — was introduced as the team's head coach on Tuesday and spent a big chunk of time discussing the mentors who helped get him to this point.

The list was impressive. LaFleur name-checked some of the league's most respected names, including 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, Rams coach Sean McVay, Titans coach Robert Saleh and Commanders coach Dan Quinn.

Then there's his brother Matt LaFleur, who leads the Green Bay Packers and his dad Denny, who was an assistant at Central Michigan for years.

It's a lot of knowledge. He might need it all to turn around these Cardinals, who finished 3-14 this past season, have made the playoffs just once in the past 10 seasons and are now on their ninth head coach since 2000.

LaFleur replaces Jonathan Gannon, who was fired on Jan. 5 after a 15-36 record over three seasons.

Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said after Gannon was fired that he expected the new coach to lead a quick turnaround.

LaFleur agreed, calling the NFL a “bottom-line business," but added there is a lot of work to do before discussing postseason goals.

“I'm not even worried about the first game in September,” LaFleur said. “I'm worried about building relationships with these guys, building the best staff we can, improving the roster because we owe it to these guys and then getting going.”

The Rams had one of the NFL's top offenses under LaFleur in 2025, averaging nearly 400 total yards and more than 30 points per game with a core group that included veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Puka Nacua. They fell one game short of the Super Bowl, losing to the Seattle Seahawks 31-27 in the NFC championship game.

In Arizona, LaFleur inherits some intriguing offensive players, including All-Pro tight end Trey McBride, receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and running back James Conner.

Arizona also has the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft.

LaFleur made it clear that he believes the Cardinals can be a good football team in the near future. Arizona struggled to win close games last season, suffering through a five-game losing streak that was decided by a combined 13 points, including three on last-second field goals.

“I've seen it first hand, I know what's on this roster,” LaFleur said. “There's a lot of reasons I'm so thrilled to be in this seat. ... We've got to figure out what those little edges are to get us over and that's what we intend to do."

The biggest questions on Arizona's roster surround quarterback Kyler Murray, whose future with the franchise is in flux. The 28-year-old has played seven seasons in the desert since being selected with the No. 1 pick in 2019 but has been to the playoffs just once, losing in the wild-card round to the Rams in 2021.

LaFleur said he's been in contact with Murray and praised the quarterback's ability, though he didn't shed much light on his role next season.

“I have a lot of respect for him as a player," LaFleur said.

Murray played in just five games last season because of a foot injury, throwing for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s in the middle of a $230.5 million, five-year contract that could last through 2028.

Jacoby Brissett started the final 12 games of the season, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 TDs and eight interceptions but winning just one game. He’s also under contract next season.

Matt LaFleur — who recently hired Gannon to be the Packers defensive coordinator next season — was in the front row of Tuesday's news conference. He said his younger brother is ready for the challenges ahead.

“I'm really excited for his opportunity," Matt LaFleur said. "He's earned it. He's done it the right way. He's been himself throughout this whole journey, knowing that there's no shortcuts and you've got to put in the work.

“I think he's going to do a great job.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Arizona Cardinals new head coach Mike LaFleur poses with his family after after being introduced during an NFL football news conference, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell introduces new head coach Mike LaFleur during an NFL football news conference, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Arizona Cardinals new head coach Mike LaFleur, left, and general manager Monti Ossenfort speak during an NFL football news conference, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Arizona Cardinals new head coach Mike LaFleur acknowledges the media after being introduced during an NFL football news conference, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Arizona Cardinals new head coach Mike LaFleur, center, poses with owner Michael Bidwell, left, and general manager Monti Ossenfort during an NFL football news conference, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A new Tennessee law has eased up on two longstanding financial hurdles for people with felony sentences who want their voting rights back, including a unique requirement among states that they must have fully paid their child support costs.

The Republican-supermajority Legislature approved the Democratic-sponsored change, which now lets people prove they have complied for the last year with child support orders, such as payment plans. The legislation also unties the payment of all court costs from voting rights restoration.

Advocates for years have sought various changes to Tennessee’s voting rights restoration system at the statehouse and in court. They say loosening these two rules marks the biggest rollback of restrictions to voting rights restoration in decades.

“This is huge and this is history,” said Keeda Haynes, senior attorney for the advocacy group Free Hearts led by formerly incarcerated women like her.

Most Republicans voted for it and Democrats supported it unanimously. The law took effect immediately upon Republican Gov. Bill Lee's signature last week.

“I think people are at a point where they want to just remove the barriers out of the way and allow people to be fully functional members of society,” said Democratic House Minority Leader Karen Camper, a bill sponsor.

In 2023 and early 2024, the state decided that the system did require going to court or showing proof of a pardon, not just a paperwork process, and that gun rights were required to restore the right to vote. Election officials said a court ruling made the changes necessary, though voting rights advocates said officials misinterpreted the order.

Last year, lawmakers untangled voting and gun rights. But voting rights advocates opposed some of the bill's other provisions, such as keeping the process in the courts, where costs can rack up if someone isn't ruled indigent.

Easing up on the financial requirements uncommonly split legislative Republicans. For instance, Senate Speaker Randy McNally voted against it, while House Speaker Cameron Sexton supported it, noting that people aren't getting forgiveness on making their payments.

“They need to continue paying that, and as long as they do, then there’s a possibility (to restore their voting rights)," Sexton said. "I really think that’s harder for people to argue against than maybe what something else was.”

Republican Rep. Johnny Garrett, who voted no, said in committee his vote would hinge on whether “there still can be an (child support) arrearage owed beyond that 12 months.”

For some, backed-up child support payments could reach hundreds or thousands of dollars, and court costs could be hundreds or thousands more, said Gicola Lane, Campaign Legal Center's Restore Your Vote community partnership senior manager.

Advocates credited their narrowed focus, omitting goals such as automatic restoration of rights, no longer tying restitution payments to voting rights, or offering a path for certain people to restore their right who are permanently disenfranchised, including those convicted of voter fraud or most murder charges.

The bill passed the Senate last year and the House this year.

Lawmakers gave the child support requirement final passage in 2006 within an overhaul bill that also created a voting rights restoration process outside of court. Critics said the child support rule penalized impoverished parents.

Democrats were then narrowly hanging onto legislative leadership in both chambers. Republicans held a slim Senate majority but GOP defectors voted for a Democratic speaker.

Last year marked the dismissal of a nearly five-year-old federal lawsuit over Tennessee’s voting-rights restoration system. Free Hearts and the Campaign Legal Center represented plaintiffs in the long-delayed case, which saw some election policy changes along the way.

Roughly 184,000 people have completed supervision for felonies and their offenses don't preclude them from restoring their voting rights, according to a plaintiffs expert’s 2023 estimate in the lawsuit. About one in 10 were estimated to have outstanding child support payments, and more than six in 10 owed court courts, restitution or both, the expert said.

Both Republican and Democratic-led states have eased the voting rights restoration process in recent years. Some states have added complexities.

In Florida, after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2018 restoring the right to vote for people with felony convictions, the Republican-controlled Legislature watered that down by requiring payment of fines, fees and court costs.

Voting rights are automatically restored upon release in nearly half of states. In 15 others, it occurs after parole, probation or a similar period and sometimes requires paying outstanding court costs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In Maine and Vermont, people with felonies keep their voting rights in prison, the NCSL says.

Ten other states including Tennessee require additional government action. Virginia ’s governor must intervene to restore voting rights of people convicted of felonies. In some states, including Tennessee, certain conviction types render someone ineligible.

However, Virginia lawmakers this year have passed a proposed state constitutional amendment to ask voters whether they want automatic voting rights restoration after someone is released from prison. Kentucky lawmakers have proposed a similar change for voters' consideration that would automatically restore voting rights after certain completed sentences, including probation.

FILE - The Tennessee Capitol is seen, Jan. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)