Jonathan Gannon was a polarizing figure in Philadelphia. His defense was among the NFL’s best in most statistical metrics, but the eye test often seemed to leave fans frustrated. His departure to Arizona was also met with mixed reactions, but his most recent comments certainly won’t be.
Jonathan Gannon takes aim at Philadelphia
The Arizona Cardinals Head Coach sat down for an interview prior to next week’s NFL Draft and decided to make up an entire story on the spot to tell the Arizona media…for some reason.
Gannon stated that when the team was 9-0, he hosted a presser and ‘they‘ said ‘Coach we want you fired’. He then went on to explain how he gave a heroic response documenting how his defense leads the NFL in every statistical category before rhetorically offering the reins to the defense out, telling media members to come and call the defense.
Well, first off, that never happened. The Eagles literally never even went 9-0. They were 8-0 and then lost to the Commanders by a point. In that game, Jonathan Gannon yielded 40 minutes of possession to Washington and allowed Taylor Henicke to look like prime Tom Brady. Something tells me criticisms that game were justified.
We’re not even mentioning the fact that Gannon’s scheme was heavily criticized by the likes of Fletcher Cox in year 1 and the main reason it wasn’t in 2022 was because of the immense star-power infused into the defense by Howie Roseman. I’m pretty sure my Nan could’ve called that defense.
Gannon’s 2022 culminated in a Super Bowl defeat that saw the star-studded unit collapse under the weight of its coordinator’s decisions. He didn’t mention that part in his heroic tale.
Also, didn’t Gannon literally tell a TV reporter after winning the NFC Championship that he wasn’t going anywhere, good, bad, or indifferent? That went well. He was on a plane to Arizona within a month.
Anyway, Jonathan Gannon is now coaching in Arizona and doing his best Michael Scott/David Brent impressions. This should be fun to watch over the next few years. I for one will be very interested to see how his groundbreaking scheme does when it’s not littered with all-pro talent.
