Yet another former New York Jets employee has found a new home. This time, however, it’s the second former Jets coach who’ll take a turn as the chief sideline boss of an NFL franchise.

Former Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur has been named the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach.

The Cardinals announced the hiring on Sunday, well after rampant speculation had the younger LaFleur brother as the man to fill the league’s final head-coaching opening.

LaFleur, 38, is coming from the Los Angeles Rams, where he spent the last three seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator. As is usually the case, heading to a Sean McVay-led team did wonders for another young offensive coach.

The reason LaFleur bolted for Los Angeles in the first place was due to what happened in early 2023, when he and the Jets decided to “mutually part ways” after just two seasons.

LaFleur was one of the coaches Robert Saleh brought with him from San Francisco to New Jersey. Saleh named LaFleur the team’s offensive coordinator during the 2021 offseason.

Interestingly, it was that offseason when general manager Joe Douglas traded Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers, while instead opting to draft Zach Wilson No. 2 in the 2021 NFL draft. It was the start of tough times for the Jets’ offense.

In 2021, New York’s -10.4% offensive DVOA placed them 22nd in the league. A year later, in 2022, LaFleur’s offense dipped, posting a 29th-best (or fourth-worst) -13.2% offensive DVOA.

It was a struggle, no doubt, but circumstances out of LaFleur’s control were incredibly difficult to tame.

First and foremost, Wilson could never quite figure out the quarterback position, namely from a mental perspective. He was constantly scared to turn the ball over or to throw into tight windows, prompting fans to wonder about the job LaFleur was doing.

Secondly, and in association, Saleh’s vision felt incredibly outdated. His “All Gas, No Brake” mantra seemed to only apply to his running-wild defense, which aggressively attacked gaps and scampered sideline to sideline with venom.

Saleh’s intent on bringing over a Kyle Shanahan-themed rushing attack, coupled with his conservative mindset, never quite allowed LaFleur to get a modern offense going. Plus, employing wide receivers who were consistently disgruntled didn’t help matters — led by Elijah Moore (whose public outcry is infamous by now).

Perhaps even the beloved Garrett Wilson fed into the offensive frustrations at the time, though to a much lesser degree and far more privately. Wilson spoke glowingly of LaFleur in December of 2024 when the Rams were in town.

“Love him, man,” Wilson said after the Jets’ 19-9 loss to the Rams last season. “Obviously, my rookie year … looking back on it, it was a special time, and I might have taken it for granted.”

Three years later, history is repeating itself. Aaron Glenn’s decision to part ways with Tanner Engstrand forces fans to think back on LaFleur’s time here.

Whether or not Glenn pulled the trigger on a correct decision remains to be seen. Frank Reich, Greg Roman, and Darrell Bevell are the reported front-runners for the open position.

Mike LaFleur becomes the Arizona Cardinals’ 44th head coach in organizational history.