After making a Super Bowl appearance with the Philadelphia Eagles, Jonathan Gannon was able to parlay that run into a head coaching job with the Arizona Cardinals.
Gannon led the Eagles as their defensive coordinator and turned them into one of the best units in the league.
However, Gannon now faces a different challenge as he attempts to lead a rebuilding Cardinals squad that is the favorite to come away with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Although Arizona is expected to struggle mightily during the 2023 NFL season, it shouldn’t tarnish Gannon’s reputation too much as he tries to implement a new culture and system.
So far, the Cardinals head coach has done a good job of staying positive and remaining even-keeled before the season begins.
He’s also proven to be able to hold himself accountable because when discussing Philadelphia’s loss in Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs, Gannon assumed responsibility via Zak Keefer of The Athletic.
“I’m the reason we lost the Super Bowl,” Gannon said.
Update: Jonathan Gannon, who was the #Eagles DC during Super Bowl 57 against the #Chiefs, admits he was the reason they lost, via @zkeefer
Gannon, now the head coach of the #Cardinals said: "I’m the reason we lost the Super Bowl,"
Jalen Hurts scored 4 TDs and gained nearly 400… pic.twitter.com/TJCJfILnJO
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 6, 2023
It’s hard to place all the blame on Gannon as there isn’t a defense that can truly contain Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense.
Giving up 38 points is never a good showing for a defense, but that should say more about how potent Kansas City was moving the ball versus how poorly Philadelphia’s defense performed.
Unfortunately for Gannon, the defensive woes will likely continue in Arizona as the roster is devoid of much true game-changing talent.
It’s going to be a rough first year for Gannon, though hopefully, it sets up the franchise to succeed moving forward.
NEXT: Joshua Dobbs Won’t Reveal If He’s The Cardinals’ Starting QB