Tag: Jonathan Gannon

Sep 10, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) stands on the sidelines before the start of the Washington Commanders and Arizona Cardinals game at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray won’t play in Week 9

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kyler Murray’s season debut with the Arizona Cardinals is on hold for at least one more week.

Coach Jonathan Gannon already has announced that Joshua Dobbs will start at quarterback next Sunday against the Cleveland Browns for the lowly Cardinals (1-7).

Dobbs has started all eight games.

Murray hasn’t played since tearing the ACL in his right knee on Dec. 12, 2022, and, after surgery this year, has been on the PUP list. He was designated to return on Oct. 18, opening the 21-day window until Nov. 8 to add him to the 53-man roster.

Murray was not activated for Sunday’s 31-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

And with Gannon already ruling out Murray for Sunday’s game at Cleveland, the earliest Murray could play is on Nov. 12 at home against the Atlanta Falcons.

Murray, 26, signed a five-year, $230.5 million deal before the 2022 season. He is 25-31-1 as a starter, having thrown for 13,848 yards and 84 touchdowns against 41 interceptions. He also has 2,204 career rushing yards and 23 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Jonathan Gannon is introduced as the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals during a news conference at the Cardinals training facility in Tempe on Feb. 16, 2023. Nfl New Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon

Jonathan Gannon took pay cut to become Cardinals HC

Posted on | by Field Level Media

New Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon said the Eagles made him a counteroffer of more money than the Cardinals are paying him if he would stay on as defensive coordinator in Philadelphia.

Gannon made the comments to NBC Sports in an interview published Monday. In essence, Gannon took a pay cut to become a first-time head coach in the NFL and work with quarterback Kyler Murray.

“They came back and they were like, ‘Here’s a new offer. It’s gonna pay you more than being a head coach,’” Gannon told NBC Sports. “That’s cool and I loved it there but I wanted to be a head coach and I was excited about this because of (owner) Mr. Bidwill — Michael, as he would say – (GM) Monti Ossenfort, and Kyler.”

The Cardinals introduced Gannon as head coach on Thursday. Financial terms of his deal were not announced.

The money might not have been a factor for Gannon in taking the Arizona job but Murray certainly was.

“If Kyler Murray isn’t here, I don’t take this job,” Gannon told NBC Sports.

“This guy does things that it completely handcuffs you how you play defense — at times,” Gannon went on about Murray. “I think we can take him to another level and unleash his full skill set. We’re not gonna put him in gun all the time, I’ll tell you that. The way to take pressure off the quarterback and the O-line is to put him under center at times. That’s the missing piece I thought they had with Kyler. They were in gun all the time. When you’re in gun all the time, you don’t make the defense defend certain play types.”

Gannon, just 40, also discussed his hiring of coordinators: 29-year-old Nick Rallis as DC and 35-year-old Drew Petzing as OC.

“Age isn’t a prerequisite for firepower,” Gannon told NBC. “When we got to Philly, we had the youngest staff in the NFL. There’s a reason that our (players) ran into the building to come to work. I love that. I’m gonna have some guys with major, major experience worked into the staff because I value that, too. But as far as who’s running the offense and the defense, age was never a factor for me — what was in their brain and what was in their heart is.”

–Field Level Media

Jul 29, 2022; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon speaks with the media at training camp at NovaCare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathan Gannon’s vision on Kyler Murray landed him Cards job

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It took a defensive mind to convince the Arizona Cardinals that Jonathan Gannon was the right man to turn around their “elite” franchise quarterback.

Kyler Murray was a central theme to Gannon’s introductory press conference as the new head coach of the Cardinals on Thursday.

That came from Gannon as well as Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill.

Bidwill was asked how he knew he had the right man to lead the Cardinals on Sundays.

“It’s the view he had of our elite quarterback and getting him back to be the playmaker that he is and making sure we build around him,” Bidwill said.

Considering the team signed Murray to a five-year, $230.5 million contract — $103.3 million guaranteed — last July, the new head coach had to believe the Cardinals have an “elite” quarterback.

“Everything that we do will be structured around the quarterback position to maximize his skillset,” Gannon said. “And we have an elite one.”

The Cardinals introduced their new front man, the former defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, two days after announcing the hire.

Gannon, 39, interviewed for the job on Monday, one day after the Eagles dropped a 38-35 decision to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz. Gannon said he didn’t know he was interviewing for the job until after the game.

He didn’t fly back to Philadelphia with the team after Eagles general manager Howie Roseman told him he was staying behind for the Monday interview.

One thing Gannon did do Sunday was watch the video of the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss.

“Sunday night, in my hotel room, which was hard. You feel for the players,” Gannon said. “I don’t feel sorry for myself, I feel bad about the players. I’m always trying to learn from experiences that happen right in real time. I feel bad about not being able to get that done but it was an excellent learning experience for me and I know that I learned a lot from that game. Things that I would need to do different to win that game.”

Gannon said he’s not sure if he’ll be the defensive play caller for the Cardinals, saying it’ll depend on his defensive coordinator. But one thing is for sure – he doesn’t like schemes.

“I don’t have a scheme. I don’t believe in a scheme,” Gannon said. “I believe in putting the players that we have in positions to be successful. So, we’re gonna look different week to week, predicated on who we have playing and who we are playing.”

He also credited Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni for giving him the blueprint to be a head coach.

“Nick Sirianni really prepped me to be a head coach, I truly believe that. I told him before I walked out of the building,” Gannon said. “He was extremely hard on me, extremely detailed but he always had my back. He let me in on a lot of things on how he was running the team and the why behind it.”

Gannon replaces Kliff Kingsbury, who was fired by Arizona on Jan. 9. Kingsbury posted a 4-13 record in 2022 and 28-37-1 mark in four seasons as coach of the Cardinals.

Gannon was the architect of an impressive Eagles defense that in 2022 registered a league-high 70 sacks and held opponents to 20.2 points per game.

Gannon’s NFL coaching career began in 2007 with the Atlanta Falcons when he served as defensive quality control coach. He also worked with the then-St. Louis Rams as a scout, Tennessee Titans in defensive quality control, Minnesota Vikings as an assistant defensive backs coach, and the Colts as cornerbacks coach before being hired in Philadelphia in 2021.

–Field Level Media

Jul 29, 2022; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon speaks with the media at training camp at NovaCare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Cardinals hiring Jonathan Gannon as head coach

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The Arizona Cardinals are finalizing a deal to hire Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their new head coach, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.

The reports come on the same day that former Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen was hired as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

Gannon, 40, interviewed for the job on Monday, one day after the Eagles dropped a 38-35 decision to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz.

Gannon, Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka were considered the top candidates for the Cardinals’ job.

Gannon will replace Kliff Kingsbury, who was fired by Arizona on Jan. 9. Kingsbury posted a 4-13 record in 2022 and 28-37-1 mark in four seasons as coach of the Cardinals.

Gannon was the architect of an impressive Eagles defense that in 2022 registered a league-high 70 sacks and held opponents to 20.2 points per game.

Gannon’s NFL coaching career began in 2007 with the Atlanta Falcons when he served as defensive quality control coach. He also worked with the then-St. Louis Rams as a scout, Tennessee Titans in defensive quality control, Minnesota Vikings as an assistant defensive backs coach, and the Colts as cornerbacks coach before being hired in Philadelphia in 2021.

–Field Level Media

Jan 9, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores watches from the sideline during the second quarter of the game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Brian Flores among finalists for Texans opening

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Brian Flores remains in the running for two NFL head-coaching positions after filing a class action lawsuit against the league and its 32 clubs for discriminatory hiring practices.

Flores, Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and retired NFL quarterback Josh McCown are the finalists for the Houston Texans’ vacant position, multiple reports said Thursday.

Flores, who also interviewed for the New Orleans Saints’ job and remains a possibility there, filed suit Tuesday to allege, among other things, that the New York Giants had already decided to hire Brian Daboll as their next coach before Flores’ interview took place.

Flores is Black, and only one NFL team currently has a Black head coach — Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The league’s Rooney Rule, which requires that teams interview at least two external minority candidates for head-coaching jobs, is under scrutiny as some believe teams are only interviewing minority candidates to check a box.

The Miami Dolphins fired Flores after the 2021 season despite Miami finishing with a winning record in back-to-back seasons. In his suit, Flores alleged that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wanted the team to tank in 2019 and offered the coach $100,000 per loss.

The Dolphins, Giants and the league have denied Flores’ accusations.

Flores said Wednesday he informed the Texans and Saints of his intentions to file the suit.

The Texans fired coach David Culley — who is also Black — after one season, in which he produced a 4-13 record amid a rebuilding year.

Gannon and McCown are white. Neither candidate has been a head coach before, but previous reports had indicated that Houston especially favored McCown, who played 16 NFL seasons for nine teams in a journeyman career.

Gannon, 39, just completed his first season as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator.

–Field Level Media

Aug 8, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni looks on against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles hire Nick Sirianni as head coach

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The Philadelphia Eagles officially named former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni as their new head coach, the team announced Sunday.

Sirianni, 39, has served as the offensive coordinator with the Colts for the last three seasons. He spent five seasons as an assistant with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2013-17) and four with the Kansas City Chiefs (2009-12).

Sirianni apparently isn’t coming alone, as the NFL Network reported that former Colts defensive backs coach Jonathan Gannon and Indianapolis assistant Kevin Patullo will head to Philadelphia. Gannon will serve as the defensive coordinator for the Eagles while Patullo will be their offensive pass game coordinator.

Gannon reportedly interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers and Chicago Bears for the defensive coordinator position with those teams.

Indianapolis went 11-5 during the 2020 regular season and lost 27-24 to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round. Sirianni’s offense ranked ninth in the NFL in scoring and 10th in total offense (11th in passing, 11th in rushing).

The Eagles fired head coach Doug Pederson earlier this month after a five-year run that included a 42-37-1 record and Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl championship. Since the win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, however, the Eagles are 22-25-1.

Philadelphia’s offense ranked 24th in the NFL in yards per game (334.6), 26th in scoring (20.9 points) and 28th in passing yards (207.9). Pederson removed Carson Wentz as the starting quarterback after 12 games and replaced him with rookie Jalen Hurts.

The Eagles are looking for a coach who can help Wentz bounce back from a disappointing season.

Sirianni was the Chargers’ quarterbacks coach from 2014-15 and the Chiefs’ assistant QBs coach in 2010.

–Field Level Media