Unlike most teams in the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals are getting four preseason games, when accounting for the Hall of Fame Game. That’s great for competing against other teams, but head coach Mike LaFleur also wants to make sure his team gets plenty of joint practices in.
The Cardinals are getting ready to have a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers next week. However, if it were up to LaFleur, they’d be having plenty more than that.
Arizona Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur Sees Immense Value in Joint Practices
GettyArizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur
On Tuesday, Mike LaFleur addressed the question of joint practices. He admitted that he’d love to see the Arizona Cardinals have more than the one practice.
“I would love to do two joint practices,” LaFleur said. “I’d love to do three joint practices.”
There’s a simple reason why. It’s advanced competition, higher than you get in a regular practice.
“You get two joint practices in, that’s the equivalent of playing the two preseason (games), because it is a heightened, amped up environment. You’re not tackling, but it’s just, it’s the amped up environment that you get.”
Beyond that, LaFleur also pointed out that there are studies that show joint practices are safer than games. For an injury-bit Cardinals team, that means they’re getting that preseason game type of competition without the added risk of a traditional game.
“For some reason, the data says if you end up having those joint practices, you have a lower injury risk going into the first four weeks of the season,” LaFleur said.
In general, the Cardinals have issues scheduling joint practices. After all, they’re typically in connection to preseason games. Every other year, the Cardinals host two of those games, which is a problem because LaFleur noted “we will always go on the road to do it.” It’s just too hot to host in August in Arizona.
The heat can be so bad that the Cardinals sometimes don’t practice outside themselves. They want to avoid overusing the indoor bubble, but when the sun is at its peak, it’s unavoidable.
Joint Practices Will Be a Family Affair for Mike LaFleur
GettyArizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur
When the Cardinals do finally get the chance to compete in a joint practice, it’s going to be a family affair for Mike LaFleur. That’s because it’s against the Packers and his brother, head coach Matt LaFleur.
Matt has led the Packers since 2019 and resisted the urge to ever bring in his brother as an assistant coach. Instead, Mike worked under the likes of Kyle Shanahan, Robert Saleh, and Sean McVay. Those are some of the same coaches who Matt had come up under, giving them incredibly similar backgrounds as coaches.
The McVays now join a tradition of brothers coaching in the NFL. The most notable of those, of course, are Jim and John Harbaugh. They even competed in a Super Bowl against one another, with John coming out on top.
Whether or not the relationship has any effect on the joint practice or preseason game is doubtful. However, it’s another interesting storyline to follow as the Cardinals get ready for Mike LaFleur’s first season as a head coach.
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