It was a Monday morning in Arizona like no other, with the news breaking that the Arizona Cardinals had fired head coach Jonathan Gannon after three tumultuous seasons at the helm. The announcement came swiftly, just hours after the Cardinals wrapped up their 2025 campaign with a 37-20 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams—a loss that seemed to encapsulate all the frustrations and failed promises of Gannon’s tenure.
When Gannon first arrived in 2023, optimism ran high. Fresh off a Super Bowl run as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator, he was brought in as part of a sweeping rebuild alongside new general manager Monti Ossenfort. Gannon’s message was clear and confident: “Don’t get it twisted,” he declared, “We’re gonna win games.” For a fan base hungry for stability and success, those words struck a chord. But as the seasons unfolded, reality bit hard.
Gannon departs Arizona with a 15-36 record, the worst win percentage among any Cardinals coach who lasted multiple seasons in the Super Bowl era. The 2025 season proved to be the final straw. The Cardinals finished a dismal 3-14, including a winless 0-6 mark in the NFC West—setting the franchise record for most losses in a single season. The numbers are stark: after starting the year 2-0, Arizona lost 14 of its next 15 games, including a brutal nine-game losing streak to close out the year. In six of those final nine contests, the defense surrendered at least 30 points, and four of the blowouts came at the hands of division rivals.
“This is a league about wins and losses,” owner Michael Bidwill stated during the press conference that followed the firing. “The wins and losses speak for themselves, especially this year. We just felt like we were going in the wrong direction and we needed to change course.”
It wasn’t for lack of trying. Gannon and Ossenfort invested heavily in the defense, using 17 of 28 draft picks on that side of the ball, including six of seven selections in the most recent draft. Notable picks like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Paris Johnson Jr. were expected to anchor the team’s future. Yet, despite these efforts, the defense ranked 26th in EPA per play allowed and 27th in success rate allowed this season. Free agent signings such as Dalvin Tomlinson, Justin Jones, and Bilal Nichols failed to make a significant impact, and early-round draft picks like Darius Robinson and B.J. Ojulari struggled to meet expectations.
The offense, once a bright spot in 2024, collapsed in 2025. After doubling their win total from four to eight in Gannon’s second season, hopes were high entering this year. But a five-game losing streak early on, all by one score, signaled trouble. The team made NFL history by becoming the first to lose three straight games after leading by at least seven points heading into the fourth quarter. The run game, which had been a strength, evaporated after both James Conner and rookie Trey Benson suffered season-ending injuries in Weeks 3 and 4. The offensive line, already reeling from the departure of coach Klayton Adams, regressed further, and quarterback Kyler Murray—once the franchise’s centerpiece—struggled to regain his form.
Murray, recovering from a torn ACL in 2023, was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury after Week 5 this season. His performance before the injury was lackluster, averaging career lows in yards per attempt and per game. Gannon’s decision to bench Murray before his injury, citing performance issues, only fueled speculation about the quarterback’s future in Arizona. Backup Jacoby Brissett stepped in and provided a temporary spark, notably in a 27-17 Monday Night Football win over the Dallas Cowboys, but the offense never truly found its footing again.
Amid the mounting losses, tension boiled over. In a particularly low moment, Gannon was fined $100,000 for a heated sideline altercation with running back Emari Demercado after a costly goal-line drop in a one-point loss to the Tennessee Titans. Gannon later apologized for the incident, acknowledging his mistake. “That’s the business we’re in. If you don’t want to be in that business, we laugh, we joke, go work somewhere else. I’m going to control the controllables for myself. You know, come to work and do the best job that I can,” Gannon said in a mid-November press conference, recognizing the pressure he was under.
Despite the on-field struggles, Gannon retained support from many in the locker room. “I believe in JG,” left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. shared on the day of the firing. “I love the man he is, his approach and as a leader.” But as the losses piled up and the team’s discipline waned—Arizona finished among the league leaders in penalties and missed tackles—ownership decided it was time for a new direction.
The Cardinals’ woes weren’t limited to coaching. The team was ravaged by injuries, leading the NFL in players placed on injured reserve and games missed. The defense, once defined by aggression and discipline, devolved into one of the league’s most porous units. The offense, hampered by scheme clashes and personnel mismatches, failed to capitalize on the talents of stars like Murray and tight end Trey McBride. Even the promising rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. struggled with consistency amid the chaos.
As the dust settles, general manager Monti Ossenfort remains in charge and will lead the search for a new head coach. Owner Michael Bidwill emphasized the importance of finding the right leader to restore the franchise’s direction. The Cardinals will likely see a complete overhaul of their coaching staff, with both offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis expected to depart as well.
Since moving to Arizona in 1988, the Cardinals have cycled through six head coaches in the past two decades, with only Ken Whisenhunt lasting more than four seasons. The organization now faces yet another pivotal offseason, searching for stability and a return to competitiveness in the fiercely contested NFC West.
For Cardinals fans, the end of the Gannon era is bittersweet. The hope and energy that accompanied his arrival have faded, replaced by the sobering reality of a 3-14 season and a franchise record for losses. Yet, with young talent on the roster and a determined front office, there’s still a glimmer of optimism that the next chapter could finally bring the sustained success that has long eluded Arizona.
As Ossenfort and Bidwill prepare to address the media and chart a new course, the eyes of the NFL world will be on the desert—wondering who will take the reins and whether the Cardinals can finally turn promise into performance.
