ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Arizona Cardinals will be hiring Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their new head coach.
Later in the day, the team officially announced the signing of Gannon, marking the completion of the 2023 Cardinals head coach search.
This hire is a wise choice for the Cardinals, as Gannon brings with him years of experience at both professional and collegiate levels. His keen understanding of defense and his motivational abilities should be beneficial to the team going forward.
Cardinals HC Search is Finally Over
It was clear that the Cardinals had their sights set on Gannon to lead their staff since Super Bowl Sunday when reports suggested an interview was due to take place. Although both Mike Kafka and Lou Anarumo had been considered for the role, Monday’s report saw them trimmed down to one: Gannon.
Today marks the official news of his appointment, leaving Kafka in charge of the Giants’ offense and Anarumo to prepare for another season with the Bengals’ defense. Meanwhile, Brian Flores withdrew, and accept the defensive coordinator position for the Minnesota Vikings.
More About Jonathan Gannon
Gannon and Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni joined forces in 2021, with great success highlighted by a top-10-ranked defense. The team was further bolstered by new additions to the roster during the offseason, leaving Philadelphia with one of the strongest rosters in the league. This strength was reflected in their performance in 2022 – ending the year at No. 1 seeds after ranking top-10 for both points and yards allowed throughout the season.
Philadelphia showed a strong presence in post-season games as they made it to Super Bowl, solidifying their defensive capability, but falling short over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cardinals Offseason Overview
Entering a new era in 2023, the Arizona Cardinals will have to bear the pain of losing veteran players and rebuilding in the upcoming season. The team sustained another blow due to a mid-season knee injury to their quarterback and this means that a new quarterback is likely to start for them.
This pairs up with their reported plans of trading away wide receiver Hopkins in the offseason and tight end Zach Ertz has already been rumored as the next one that could hit the road. Arizona could turn things around quickly by moving on from long-serving veterans and trading down in the draft multiple times.
Sportsbooks still do not expect much of the Cardinals next season as they are listed as +25000 to win the Super Bowl LVII on BetMGM sportsbook. Coming off a rough season in 2022 and not having significant additions to match NFL powerhouses, it is understandable why they have the second lowest chances of winning it all this year.
