Mike Laughlin Wins NFL Debut as Cardinals Head Coach
Laughlin beat the Chargers 26-14 as Arizona's first permanent head coach since 1973 to win his opening game, defying 8.5-point underdog odds.
He is the first permanent head coach in the franchise since 1973 to open his tenure with a win.
The last man to manage it was Don Coryell, 53 years ago. Every other permanent head coach the Cardinals have hired since has lost his debut.
FC Arizona went into the game as 8.5-point underdogs. According to ESPN, it is the biggest upset of an NFL opening week since 2018, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 10-point underdogs, beat the New Orleans Saints.
Laughlin played down the result. 'Just one game,' he said of his first win as a head coach.
The win comes days after FC Arizona locked up wide receiver Michael Wilson on a $75m extension through 2029, following his breakout 1,000-yard season — a reminder that the roster Laughlin inherited was already being built around for the long term.
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