The Packers recently lost defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley when he took the Dolphins’ head coaching position. The search for his replacement has come to an end.
Green Bay is hiring Jonathan Gannon to fill the DC position, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The former Cardinals head coach has thus managed to find a new opportunity not long after his Arizona firing. Gannon was one of three candidates known to have interviewed with the Packers. 
Interest in multiple D-coordinator openings was present in Gannon’s case. The Commanders interviewed him once, while the Cowboys conducted a follow-up with him last week. Gannon was also among the candidates who spoke with the Titans about their head coaching position, but a return to the DC ranks has long been expected in this case. Both the Chargers and Giants were interested in Gannon, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports. Green Bay moving quickly with this hire may have been a reaction to the threat of other DC offers being made shortly.
Gannon spent three seasons leading the Cardinals. Hired alongside general manager Monti Ossenfort to oversee a rebuilding effort, Arizona went 4-13 during his first year on the sidelines. The team’s win total doubled in 2024; that encouraging campaign saw the Cardinals in contention for a playoff berth for much of the season. A poor showing after the bye produced only a pair of wins down the stretch, however.
Expectations were high for Gannon’s team to at least match its success from the prior year entering 2025. Things did not go according to plan, however. Following a 2-0 start, the Cardinals lost five consecutive one-score games. A win coming out of the bye seemed to offer the potential for a turnaround, but as injuries across the roster piled up Arizona ended the year on a nine-game losing streak. Leading up to ‘Black Monday,’ it increasingly appeared as though Ossenfort would be safe while Gannon would be dismissed. That was indeed the path ownership took.
Prior to his Cardinals tenure, Gannon coordinated the Eagles’ defense for two years. Philadelphia ranked top 10 in yards allowed during the 2021 and ’22 seasons; the team improved from 18th to eighth in scoring defense under Gannon. With the Eagles reaching the Super Bowl during Gannon’s final year in Philadelphia, it came as little surprise when he received a head coaching opportunity. Expectations will no doubt be tempered if Gannon, 42, is to get another HC look in the future.
Upon returning to coordinator duties, however, Gannon could once again see quick success. Green Bay largely thrived on defense during Hafley’s two-year run leading the unit. Injuries midway through the 2025 campaign – highlighted of course by Micah Parsons‘ ACL tear – proved to be impactful, and the Packers struggled on defense through the end of the season and in the wild-card round. That did not stop Hafley from being among the top HC candidates during this year’s hiring cycle, and few were surprised when he followed Green Bay colleague Jon-Eric Sullivan to Miami.
Gannon had a lengthy track record of NFL coaching gigs prior to his Eagles coordinator opportunity. Much of that time was spent as a position coach working with defensive backs, and the secondary looms as a unit which could see considerable attention from the Packers this offseason. Gannon will be tasked with overseeing improvement on the back end in particular for Green Bay in 2026 as he takes charge of a defense for the second time in his career.
Meanwhile the Buccaneers are stuck with Todd Bowles
Makes sense. A good candidate they don’t have to worry about getting poached for a head coach job after one or two seasons.
I’ll always remember him punching out and not caring against the Chiefs. What a great guy! He even made up some weird stories…
The Eagles defense didnt play well. The slick field neutralized their pass rush. How do DBs not know how to recognize Chiefs pick plays? Either Gannon didnt coach it enough, or the players didnt recognize it on films?
He wasn’t really paying attention because he was setting up with the Cardinals. It was pretty low character on its own, to not focus on his current job, but the quotes that he gave about it made it seem worse.
As a packers fan like this move. He has DC experience already!! to all this haters that wanted Leonhard, was there proof that there was mutual interest?? There wasn’t. Keep listening to rappaport and Wisconsin sports media smh
What an uninspired move. Of the five people they’d interviewed or requested an interview with, he was the absolute worst option.
I was really hoping the Packers would poach someone from the Cowboys… just to wind up Jerry Jones a bit 🙂
Solid
This move is def not a headline stealer; not one with tons of hype. But maybe that will be a good thing… I’d rather have a solid move over a hype move. My expectations are low, so I won’t be disappointed if it fails. Just hoping this proves to be a good hire.
He could work out well. His scheme in AZ was very good. Just poor talent on that side of the ball and those early close losses plus Kyler sucking tanked their season. He had success in Philly as DC.
T
A bunch of Packer fans are upset because they didn’t bite on Leonhard. lol.
Yet again Bearmeat feels the need to demonstrate how little he knows. Jonathan Gannon’s defense in Arizona was among the NFL’s worst, struggling significantly in points allowed, yards allowed, yards per carry allowed, pressure rate, and protecting leads.
During his tenure, the unit ranked near the bottom, specifically finishing 31st in points allowed in 2023 and 29th in 2025. They also struggled with a 31st-ranked 3rd-down percentage and were 28th in total defense in 2025.
In the 2025 Season, the Cardinals’ defense allowed 28.7 points per game, ranking 29th in the league. They finished 27th in yards allowed (357.7 per game).
Overall, over his three-year tenure, the defense was ranked as the third-worst in the league.
Plus the excuse of lacking talent on that side of the ball is weak. He had time there to develop players and find players whose strengths fit his so called “very good scheme.” That’s what good coaches do, they teach, mentor, and improve fundamentally weak players, maximizing the talent at hand. They also build a cohesive, high-energy unit that plays with a high effort and discipline.
Good coaches also game plan to exploit weaknesses in the other team’s offense and make quick, in-game adjustments in real time to counter offensive shifts to the defensive game plan. Gannon struggled mightily at all of those.
So Bearmeat’s strong stance of saying the Gannon “might work out well” is like entering a marathon in flip-flops—sure, you might cross the finish line, but you’re ignoring every logical reason why you won’t.
They poured a ton of resources into the defense, both in free agency and the draft. Sweat was a hit and led the NFC in sacks. I’d say they put more resources into their defense than offense for sure. I just don’t think he’s a floor raiser as a defensive play caller.
His time in Philly was very good. That was a floor raiser, no? And we will have to agree to disagree on the talent in AZ. Especially with the injuries.
I think he’s a guy who gets what the talent level is on the team. You’re not going to get a guy who has the defensive personnel punching above its weight. So that being said, they’d better draft some corners this year instead of that ridiculous plan going into last year that the scheme would be enough to start the backup level players they had on the roster.
That’s sort of the Gutekunst approach, unfortunately.
I do agree with you about Gannon-he’s perfectly average at best, because he’s not going to elevate the talent on the roster. He probably won’t be inept, but I doubt that he will cover for deficiencies, either. The Packers need to make decisions at a couple of positions on defense soon, and as much as I’d like to see them get their corners, a bigger decision might be at a position where they just made a big move-at edge rusher. Gary has been a bit too similar to how he was at Michigan-lots of potential and athleticism, and inconsistent delivery.
There is some unsubstantiated talk that he was a player that Parsons alluded to when with comments about how players need to work harder and be motivated to give more effort. Whether that’s true or not is its own matter, but observably, Gary has a big contract de vision coming up, and Green Bay will need to either be comfortable extending him or finding a quality replacement to pair with Parsons on his return.
I actually maybe in the minority here, but I think that LaFleur’s extension is good. I have many criticisms of Gutekunst’s settling mindset and illogical acquisition strategies, but LaFleur has been very good at keeping the team running with a few long running areas of deficiency or impactful injury. He has his faults, no doubt, but the Packers are closer to high end contention than they are to failure. A few good moves from Gutekunst and they could capitalize on the potential of the young players that they do have on the roster.
I didn’t have any problem with LaFleur getting an extension this year despite the whimper down the stretch and inexplicable no-shows against inferior teams. I would have fired him after that playoff game against the Buccaneers years ago similar to how I would have fired McDermott after the 13 second game, but that’s water under the bridge at this point. I don’t think he’s one of the great coaches, but he’s well above average, and there is at least half the league chasing that. Also, he can clearly develop QBs, something that’s coveted in the league.
Gary will be cut. Jenkins too for that matter.
They need another CB for sure, but I don’t know that the ammo is there to get one. They won’t have a first round pick, of course. And they’re not going to make a splash in free agency. They have some cap available, but questions at OC, NT are also there, and are they going to re-sign Walker and Rhyan? Who knows. Plus, they’re really banking on getting four comp picks in 2027, so anyone they sign in free agency would diminish those returns.
That said, you name me a team in the hard cap era that has not had one weakness on it. It’s very, very, rare at least. And certainly wasn’t the case this year with anyone.
Young players will have to step up, and found gold in UDFA/draft picks/Street Free agency, will tell the story of who makes a leap.
Well, yes, it is quite fair to point that out (in regards to weaknesses). Off course, that’s the fodder for us to discuss, at the end of the day.
You make good points. I just really need to see what the plan is at CB and edge. The Packers have had above average production at best for years there (not withstanding Jaire’s uninjured play when available), and now they at least have an elite pass rusher on one side. Those four comp picks-which are in the air right now-are going to be crucial in making up the price for the Parsons trade. I’d value a rusher over a CB for them just because that division already has two other QB centric teams in Chicago and Detroit, and a legitimate dual edge rush will be key to being competitive in potential high scoring games.
The thing is, I’d really also like to see them take their offensive line seriously. It feels to me like they wasted Jenkins’ career with the constant shuffling, but the offense will probably be just fine with Kraft’s return and (hopefully) Golden’s further development. It would be great to see the protection upgraded to help spur that, and keep Love upright in games.
Agreed on all. That line re shuffling has been frustrating to say the least. Banks was poor this year and that deal looks bad right now.