One Cardinals DC candidate has pulled out of consideration

Now that newly-minted head coach Mike LaFleur has rearranged the furniture in the big office, he is still attempting to fill out his coaching staff so that the process of building this Arizona Cardinals 2026 roster can officially begin.

One position of great need is to get consistency with the defense. That begins by hiring the right guy for the team’s open DC position.

RELATED: CARDINALS REQUEST INTERVIEWS WITH SEVERAL PROSPECTIVE DC

One candidate on the list, Houston Texans defensive backs coach Dino Vasso, has rescinded his name from Arizona’s short list. The Texans made him a contract extension offer that enabled him to remain in Houston. He was being considered a top DC candidate for several NFL clubs.

The coaches that remain on LaFleur’s DC search include Aubrey Pleasant, the Assistant head coach & passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, and Charlie Bullen, outside LB coach for the New York Football Giants.

Vasso, age 38, already had one interview with Arizona before he pulled out. Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans had stated that Vasso’s efforts with the defensive backs were crucial to his defense’s success, which ranked #1 overall this past season. It has not been disclosed how much of a bump in pay Vasso received, but apparently enough to prevent him from leaving the Texans. This year alone, Houston had three Pro Bowlers from Vasso’s group.

Ryans and LaFleur once worked together on the coaching staff of the San Francisco 49ers.

That leaves a very short list for LaFleur to consider. Both coaches have ties to the Cardinals.

Bullen, age 41, previously coached the outside LB group for Arizona from 2019-2022 under DC Vance Joseph when Kliff Kingsbury was Arizona’s head coach. During that timeframe, the Cardinals posted 89 sacks which was fifth-best in the NFL. Pleasant and LaFleur worked together on the Rams staff in 2023 through 2025 when both coaches were hired the same year.

Last year, when Giants head coach Brian Daboll was fired during the season, Bullen was elevated to interim DC. He’s a smart coach. He’s detailed. He’s aggressive. Bullen likes to institute pressure and blitzes. His aggressive method of defense will become a catalyst for the Cardinals on that side of the ball. 

Pleasant is highly-regarded in NFL circles and a rising star. He spent three seasons on the same staff as LaFleur, although their meeting rooms were never the same. What he is known for is installing a versatile, aggressive 3-cornerback system that uses man-to-man coverage and tight pass rushing. Pleasant is also known as being detail-oriented. He is recognized for fostering a collaborative, high-energy environment. 

Both of these finalists for the Cardinals’ DC job would be a great addition and help address the defense’s issues. The incoming coaches will need some help, though, like bringing in another pass-rushing stud to pair with EDGE rusher Josh Sweat, and perhaps keeping DT Calais Campbell for at least another season.

LaFleur recently inked offensive veteran Nathaniel Hackett as the new OC.