Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has fallen on tough times since leaving Philadelphia after the 2022 season, getting fired after three seasons as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals earlier this month. While things fell apart in the desert, it didn’t take long for Gannon to find a new job as he agreed to become the new defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Becoming a defensive coordinator again may be the best thing for Gannon, who helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl in that role before departing for Arizona. But the early response has not been kind to Gannon, who may have to win the public relations battle before seeing success on the field in Green Bay.
Jonathan Gannon Not Receiving a Warm Welcome on His Way to Packers
Known NFL personality and Packers fan Annie Agar admitted she needed to "go to confession for [her] reaction to jonathan gannon." Meanwhile, some have dug into the not-very-glowing comments former Philly players have left of Gannon.
Zach Jacobson, who covers the team for 247Sports, called it an "uninspiring" choice. And managing editor of USA Today's Packers Wire, Zach Kruse, noted that "only two NFL teams gave up more points than Arizona during Gannon's three seasons as head coach."
In the hierarchy of potential candidates to replace Jeff Hafley, Gannon may have been at the bottom of Packers’ fans wish list. The sentimental favorite was Denver Broncos defensive passing game coordinator and assistant head coach Jim Leonhard, who has Wisconsin roots and once turned down a chance to become Matt LaFleur’s defensive coordinator in 2021.
The Packers also interviewed Chicago Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris for the job, who became a team Hall of Fame member after enjoying the best years of his career in Green Bay. Minnesota Vikings passing game coordinator Daronte Jones and former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris were also candidates, but the Packers went ahead and hired Gannon anyways.
Eagles fans know what Gannon can do in the role. Philadelphia ranked 10th in total defense and 18th in scoring in Gannon’s first season as defensive coordinator in 2021 but improved to second in total defense, eighth in scoring defense and fifth in takeaways during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run in 2022.
But while Gannon also could be inheriting a defensive front that features Micah Parsons, it may not be similar to the one he had in Philadelphia. That group had Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox and Milton Williams in the trenches and also had an active blitzer in Hasson Reddick, who notched a team-high 16 sacks in 2022.
It’s also a concern that the 2022 season was his lone standout year in five seasons as either a defensive coordinator or head coach, as it was the only year his defense ranked in the top 10 of scoring or total defense.
The other aspect is that many feel like Gannon is about as hot as microwaved leftovers. His infamous “Fire In Your Gut” speech and intro to Rondale Moore during his time with the Cardinals seemed to create more confusion than confidence, and the Packers gave the illusion that they were just wanting to get their search over, hiring Gannon one day before they could talk to Leonard.
Gannon’s advantages are his ability to put players in positions to succeed and his tendency to put players in place to succeed according to former Eagles legend Brian Dawkins. But for all the positives, Packers fans are focused on who they didn’t get, giving Gannon an uphill climb to win over his new fan base.