Former Eagles DC fired after 3 losing seasons as Cardinals' head coach
Former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has been fired after three seasons as the Cardinals head coach, according to multiple reports.
Gannon, 43, was hired by the Cardinals after the Eagles Super Bowl LXII season in 2022 but lasted just three seasons.
In three years as the Cardinals head coach, Gannon had three losing seasons and finished his time in Arizona with a 15-36 record. The Cardinals won their first two games of the 2024 season but had just one win the rest of the way and lost their final nine games.
Nick Sirianni brought Gannon with him from Indianapolis when he became the Eagles’ head coach in 2021. Gannon served for two seasons as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator before taking the head coaching job in Arizona.
Gannon’s last game as the Eagles’ DC was their 38-35 loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LXII. Because Gannon was hired so late in that process, the Eagles had to scramble and lost their opportunity to hire Vic Fangio as the DC in 2023. They hired Sean Desai for that season and then eventually brought in Fangio in 2024 and won a Super Bowl.
In early 2023, it was determined that Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort made illegal contact with Gannon after the NFC Championship Game, during a period where contact was not permitted. The two teams settled just before the 2023 draft with a pick swap. The Cardinals had to give up their third-round pick (No. 66) for the Eagles’ third-rounder (No. 94) and a fifth-round pick in 2024.
When Gannon left for Arizona, he took former Eagles linebackers coach Nick Rallis with him and made Rallis the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator. During free agency this past offseason, the Cardinals signed former Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat to a four-year, $76 million deal. Despite a lack of team success, Sweat had 12 sacks in 2025.
