GLENDALE – Details between the first brother face off between Mike and Matt LaFleur has been revealed. Back in March, the Arizona Cardinals announced a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers. The news came just a month after Mike was hired as the head coach of the Cardinals, with his brother Matt in the building to celebrate. As anticipation mounts, an announcement on Friday shined some more light on the matchup.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The two teams will have a joint practice on Aug. 26th at 10:30 CT at Ray Nitschke Field. This will be in preparation for the squads’ final preseason game two days later, with the regular season starting two weeks afterwards. Mike spoke back in March about the decision to go to Green Bay, which had little to do with sentimental values and more of a logical choice. However, he isn’t ignoring that brother rivalry.
Feb 3, 2026; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur with wife Lauren LaFleur and their children, parents Denny and Kristi LaFleur and brother Matt LaFleur and wife BreAnne LaFleur and son pose for photos at the introductory press conference at the Cardinals training facility. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Mike LaFleur back in March on decision to go to Green Bay:
“To do the joint after we get back (after training camp) and get out of that heat, I told some of the guys, if we could go to Canada, we would. They just don’t have a team. The next best thing is to go up to Wisconsin.
“That’s why we are doing the preseason deal. I think we are scheduled to play (in the regular season) in two years. That’ll be one of those things where, ‘I love ya, buddy, but I’m going to kick your ass.'”
Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur speaks to the media at the team’s Tempe facility on June 2, 2026. Syndication: Arizona Republic
The two’s NFL journey intersect in 2015, when both were with the Atlanta Falcons for two seasons before splitting off into different pass. Matt immediately afterwards got a job as an offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans before getting the Green Bay job in 2019.
The younger brother, like the cliche states, was in the shadow for quite a bit, until years under head coach Sean McVay as an offensive coordinator got him his opportunity with Arizona. Ironically, both became first-team NFL head coaches at 39 years old, meaning mom won’t have to hear about who got the job younger.
Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur during rookie mini-camp practice on May 8, 2026, at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center in Tempe.
Despite the two matching up in the preseason and training camp, the two will likely have their players amped up to treat this game with some magnitude. That mindset could be a stellar idea to prepare their players for the regular season, which would only be a couple weeks away at that point.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
