While Jonathan Gannon‘s Cardinals appeared to take a step forward in 2024, the organization took a major step back in 2025. Naturally, the head coach has found himself on the hot seat. While Gannon won’t have much say in the matter, he’s confident he’ll be back in Arizona in 2026.
While speaking with reporters yesterday, the coach answered “yeah” when asked if he’ll be around for the organization’s postseason press conference. While Gannon said he didn’t want to “get into all that” when asked pointedly about his job security, he did admit that he feels “good” about keeping his job. The third-year coach also acknowledged that he’s had productive conversations with owner Michael Bidwill.
“I kind of do the same process as I’ve done the last two years: I try to take detailed notes, try to have a pulse of what’s going on, but you can’t let that … I do have to think about the future a little bit, obviously the seat that I’m in, but my focus is really on L.A. and that there’ll be a time to look at all of that and have those conversations and make changes,” Gannon said (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss). “No one’s happy. I’m not happy. Players aren’t happy. Through adversity, you’ve got to change. So, I got to change, and we got to change some things, but we’ll get to that.”
Gannon parlayed his success as Eagles defensive coordinator into the Cardinals head coaching job ahead of the 2023 campaign (although he had to overcome claims of tampering during the hiring process). The Cardinals struggled during the coach’s first season at the helm, finishing with a 4-13 record. However, the team slightly rebounded in 2024, finishing with an 8-9 record, and there was hope the franchise could build off that momentum in 2025.
Instead, the organization is on track to have their worst showing in more than five decades. Kyler Murray appears to be on his way out, leaving the team without an answer at a key position. Gannon’s leadership has also been questioned, especially following a midseason incident with Emari Demercado when the coach appeared to hit the RB in the stomach following a costly fumble. The Cardinals fined Gannon $100K for that incident.
Other than Steve Wilks‘ one-year stint as head coach, the Bidwill family has recently given their head coaches relatively long leashes, with each of Kliff Kingsbury, Bruce Arians, and Ken Whisenhunt all sticking around for at least four seasons. Despite Gannon’s confidence, it remains to be seen if the current head coach will be afforded the same amount of patience.
What are the odds now that AZ will be bottom feeders again next season? I’ll wager.
lol
Why?
It wasn’t just any old fumble. Didn’t the guy drop the ball before crossing the goal line? Not good behavior but not as off base as the article makes it seem.
Everyone expects to keep their job until they’re fired
What is he supposed to say? “Yes, I think they will fire me on black Monday?”
Ken and Bruce both earned a leash…Ken had some success in 2008 / 9 and a pair of NFC west titles I think(?) Bruce went 49-30 …in 5 years. Seems like an NFC west title is out of reach in the foreseeable future given the strong NFC west division and question mark at QB
Bruce also stepped down, as I recall, rather than being fired. Keim did get an exceptionally long leash as GM (especially considering his off-field troubles), but that was because he was a personal confidant of the Bidwells. I don’t think that either Gannon or Ossenfort enjoy that same relationship.
I agree 100% that both Arians and Whisenhunt each earned a longer leash, as opposed to these others (and especially Gannon). Whisenhunt presided over the single greatest season in Arizona history, whilst Arians is the all time leader in wins (at a whopping 50). Wilks never really got a fair shot on a team that Keim decided to dump after one year of Rosen’s tenure, but there wasn’t much that went right for them. Kingsbury produced periods of gaudy offense that, at its height, could never consistently show up in crucial moments.
Gannon really hasn’t shown…any highlights at all. Sure, he was saddled with a QB who doesn’t seem to care much, as Kingsbury was, but if you had to pick what the signature moment has been in Gannon’s tenure, I can’t really see it. I don’t think that Ossenfurt has been great, but I don’t think either he or Gannon have really held the other back. They just both seem mutually mediocre. The success that Arizona had with Whisenhunt and Arisns is far cry from what we’ve seen from the pedestrian efforts of the current regime.
Those teams were also stacked on both sides of the ball and playing in one of the weakest conferences in recent memory at the time.
“There’s two kinds of coaches, them that’s fired and them that’s gonna be fired” / Bum Phillips
Teams fire coaches too soon these days.
Gannon is trying to turn around a disaster of a franchise, and that takes time. He doesn’t even have his QB, and they couldn’t find a healthy RB to save their lives this year in addition to the many other injuries.
He deserves a chance to turn things around with his own QB, and them having such a bad record this year could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.