Cardinals coach addresses Aaron Rodgers rumors just hours after Kendrick Bourne calls on QB to sign in Arizona

Mike LaFleur didn't shut down the possibility of the four-time NFL MVP coming to the desert

At this point in the offseason, the biggest free agent left on the market is Aaron Rodgers. The four-time NFL MVP spent last season with the Steelers, and there's a chance he ends up back in Pittsburgh this year. 

But if Rodgers is looking for another landing spot, Kendrick Bourne has an idea for him: Sign with the Arizona Cardinals. 

The wide receiver is recruiting Rodgers to Arizona, and we know that because he sent the quarterback a very direct six-word tweet on Tuesday. 

"Come on we waiting on you," Bourne wrote. 

@AaronRodgers12 Come on we waiting on you 👀😁

— Kendrick Bourne Poly (@KendrickBourne_) May 5, 2026

The Cardinals have four quarterbacks -- Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, Kedon Slovis and third-round rookie Carson Beck -- but Rodgers would be a sizable upgrade over any of them, which probably explains why Bourne is trying to get the 18-year veteran to Arizona. 

Bourne just signed with the Cardinals in March after spending the 2025 season in San Francisco, and as a nine-year veteran, it's interesting that he seems to believe Rodgers is a better option than anyone Arizona currently has. 

Just hours after Bourne sent out his tweet, Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur addressed the Rodgers speculation during an appearance on "The Jim Rome Show."

"Honestly, right now, we're focused on the guys that we've got coming in," LaFleur said. "We've got the unit that we have -- Gardner, Jacoby and Slovis -- and then we drafted Carson Beck in the third round. We've got a room we are excited to work with, and that's solely where my focus is."

On one hand, that's a total non-answer. On the other hand, LaFleur definitely didn't rule out the possibility. The Cardinals' new head man could have said, "We're not looking to add a quarterback," or "Even though Aaron has put together a Hall of Fame career, he's not someone we're interested in right now." 

Instead, LaFleur essentially ducked the question -- leaving the door slightly open and definitely not quieting the speculation. 

Last week, we wrote about why Rodgers WOULD make sense in Arizona, so let's rehash a few of those points. 

1. He knows the coaching staff

The Cardinals just hired a new offensive coordinator in Nathaniel Hackett, who just so happens to be best friends with Rodgers. 

When the QB signed with the Jets in 2023, he essentially brought Hackett with him to New York. The two have a relationship that dates back to their time in Green Bay. Hackett was the offensive coordinator for three seasons with the Packers (2019-21), and Rodgers won two MVP awards during that span. 

And let's not forget that LaFleur is the brother of Packers coach Matt LaFleur, who coached Rodgers for four seasons in Green Bay. The Cardinals have a coaching staff Rodgers is already familiar with, and one big part of that is he wouldn't have to learn a new offense. 

2. The Cardinals' QB job is up in the air

Going into April, Brissett appeared to have the inside track, but he's skipping the team's voluntary workouts because he wants to be paid like a starter. If you're the Cardinals, you literally have zero reasons to give in to his demands. 

If they're thinking about making an offer to Brissett, they should just give that money to Rodgers. The other option would be to just roll with Minshew or Beck, but either way, paying Brissett doesn't seem like the best route. 

3. The Cardinals have offensive weapons

The Cardinals arguably have better weapons than what Rodgers had last year in Pittsburgh. Not only do they have one of the top tight ends in the NFL in Trey McBride, but they also have a solid receiving group (namely Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson), AND they just spent the third overall pick on Jeremiyah Love.

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The Cardinals finished 3-14 last season and play in a tough division, but they were competitive early in the year. As a matter of fact, they were three plays away from starting 5-0. 

After starting 2-0, they lost to the 49ers, 16-15, on a field goal as time expired. In Week 4, they lost to the Seahawks, 23-20, on a field goal as time expired. And in Week 5, they lost to the Titans, 22-21, on a field goal as time expired. Notice a theme here? 

If those kicks had missed, we're likely talking about the Cardinals in a different manner right now. 

Kyler Murray started each of those games before getting hurt, and the wheels mostly fell off the wagon after they turned the offense over to Brissett, who went 1-11 as the starter. Brissett played well at times, but Rodgers would be an upgrade, which would make Arizona an interesting team to watch. 

According to ESPN, the speculation about Rodgers possibly going to the Cardinals is "not at all" real. Rodgers might not be interested in going to Arizona, but if he was thinking about it, that's something that probably wouldn't leak out. LaFleur and Hackett both know how sensitive Rodgers is about leaks, especially Hackett, who was in New York with him... 

Last year, Aaron Rodgers complained about the "chickenshit" nature of leaks from the Jets. This year, he says leaks are "100 percent" still a problem. https://t.co/6WjkGr5PNv

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 27, 2024

Based on what happened in New York, Hackett and LaFleur would likely do their best to make sure nothing leaked out if Rodgers was actually interested in going to Arizona. 

Last year, Rodgers didn't officially sign with the Steelers until mandatory minicamp in June, and it wouldn't be surprising if he's working with the same timeline this year. The Steelers' mandatory minicamp runs from June 2-4, while Arizona's will be held June 8-10. 

Of course, if Rodgers waits that long again, that could ruffle some feathers in Pittsburgh. The Steelers want an answer from Rodgers by the start of OTAs on May 18, according to the Post-Gazette. 

Rodgers doesn't seem like a guy who likes to be given a deadline, so it will be interesting to see what happens if he hasn't made a decision by May 18. Either way, that gives us roughly two more weeks to react to every Rodgers rumor that surfaces on the internet, so buckle up and get ready.