Since Jonathan Gannon took over at the helm of the Arizona Cardinals in 2023, it’s been a bit of a topsy-turvy experience in the desert.
And apparently, that experience isn’t quite finished just yet.
Despite the Cardinals losing double-digit games for the second time in three years under Gannon—he went 4-13 as a head coaching rookie in 2023 and is staring down the barrel of a similar record in 2025 with his team sitting at 3-11 with three games to go—it seems that the coach is here to stay despite rumors suggesting otherwise.
While reporting on the head coaching situations of all 11 teams that have been officially eliminated from playoff contention this season, NFL Network insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport shared that “one wouldn’t expect a change in Arizona” despite the rough season they’re going through.
“With potentially a new QB, can the Cardinals make a leap back toward contention next season in a division in which the other three teams are all currently competing for the NFC's No. 1 seed? If Bidwill decides the answer is yes, the sense is he'll stay the course,” they reported. “Putting all the factors together and noting the overwhelming number of injuries this year, one wouldn't expect a change in Arizona.”
The NFL insiders also shared that from what they understand, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill, who succeeded his father as chairman back in 2019, has been “supportive” of Gannon. He believes the progress he showed in jumping from 4-13 in 2023 to 8-9 in 2024 is something worth pursuing. At least for one more year.
Cardinals want to see Jonathan Gannon choose his own QB
The Cardinals may have just 15 wins during Gannon’s tenure—fewer than all but the Jets, Panthers, Raiders, Giants, and Titans during that time—but the 42-year-old first-time head coach does have some things going for him.
One, is that he can't really be blamed for this lost season. The Cardinals have quietly been the most severely affected by injuries, leading the league in injured players (28) and cash going to injured players (nearly $31 million), per Spotrac.
Another is that the QB situation is a mess, and that’s not really Gannon's and general manager Monti Ossenfort’s fault. The GM and head coach combo arrived four years after the team had selected Kyler Murray No. 1 overall and one year after the team had given him a $230.5 million contract.
Murray is not Gannon’s guy, and the franchise is clearly ready to move on from the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year. It seems Bidwill wants to see what the Gannon-Ossenfort duo can make of their own QB search.
The other thing working for Gannon is that he has a young staff with a lot of upside. First-time offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is just 38 years old and in his third year on the job now. He worked under the highly-touted Kevin Stefanski for a few years from 2020-2022. Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis is just 32 years old and also in his third year in that role.
Bidwill believes Gannon and company have a high ceiling. All things considered, that will likely depend on how their QB search goes.