Jonathan Gannon Lands in Green Bay: Former Cardinals Head Coach Takes Over as Packers DC
GLENDALE - Less than three weeks after being let go by the Arizona Cardinals, Jonathan Gannon is back in the NFL-and he's heading to a team with playoff aspirations. The Green Bay Packers are hiring the former Cardinals head coach as their new defensive coordinator, filling a key vacancy after their previous DC departed to take the head coaching job in Miami.
Gannon was one of the more sought-after names on the coordinator market this offseason. The Dallas Cowboys brought him in for an interview, but it’s Green Bay that landed the 42-year-old defensive mind-someone who’s built a reputation around elevating secondaries and dialing up aggressive, adaptable schemes.
This move marks a return to Gannon's roots. While his tenure in Arizona didn’t pan out the way the franchise hoped-going 15-36 over three seasons-his track record as a defensive coordinator still holds weight around the league. And in Green Bay, he inherits a defense that ranked 11th in points allowed last season under Jeff Hafley, who now takes over in Miami.
A Coaching Journey That’s Spanned Nearly Two Decades
Gannon’s NFL coaching career began in 2007 with the Atlanta Falcons, where he held a scouting assistant role. From there, he bounced around the league with stops in St. Louis, Tennessee, and Minnesota, working in various assistant positions before landing his first big break in 2018 as the cornerbacks coach for the Indianapolis Colts.
That Colts stint proved pivotal. Over three seasons, Gannon helped shape one of the more consistent secondaries in the AFC. His work caught the attention of then-new Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni-who had worked alongside Gannon in Indianapolis-and in 2021, Gannon was hired as Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator.
The results came quickly. In just two seasons, Gannon helped transform the Eagles’ defense from a middle-of-the-pack unit to one of the league’s best. Philadelphia jumped from 20th to 8th in scoring defense under his watch, and the team rode that defensive resurgence all the way to a Super Bowl appearance in 2022.
A Second Act in Green Bay
Now, Gannon gets a fresh start in Green Bay. The Packers are looking to build on a strong 2025 campaign, and bringing in a coordinator with both head coaching experience and a proven track record on defense gives them a stabilizing presence on that side of the ball.
It won’t be without challenges. Gannon steps into a system that was already trending upward, and replacing Hafley-who helped shape a disciplined, top-tier unit-means expectations will be high from the jump. But if there’s one thing Gannon has consistently shown, it’s his ability to adapt and elevate the talent around him.
Green Bay’s defense has young stars, a strong front seven, and a secondary that’s flashed elite potential. Gannon’s task will be to bring it all together and take the unit from good to great. If he can do that, the Packers might just have the missing piece they need to make a deeper playoff run.
For Gannon, it’s a shot at redemption-and a chance to remind the league why his name was once one of the hottest in coaching circles.