Jonathan Gannon Hot-Seat Rumors Discussed by NFL Insider, 'That One Is Complicated'

With one game left to play in their 2025 regular season, it isn't yet clear who will be the Arizona Cardinals' head coach in 2026.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler called it a "complicated" situation, noting that while members of the Cards' coaching staff are "cautiously optimistic" Jonathan Gannon will be back next season and others in the coaching industry "see a path" for Gannon to stay, it is far from guaranteed.

Fowler added that Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill "likes" Gannon and could chalk up the team's struggles to injuries and "lack of a hand-picked quarterback," but Arizona's lack of competitiveness in the NFC West could still be enough to cost Gannon his job.

After a successful run as the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022, Gannon was hired as the Cardinals' head coach in 2023. He is just 15-35 in three seasons on the job, though, including a 3-13 mark so far this season.

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After failing to make the playoffs in each of his first two seasons and getting off to a 2-3 start this season, Gannon decided to make a change at quarterback.

Kyler Murray, who was the Cards' starter ever since they picked him first overall in the 2019 NFL draft, missed some time with a foot injury. Jacoby Brissett delivered some strong performances in his absence, and rather than giving Murray the chance to work his way back into the lineup, the decision was made to place him on injured reserve and shut him down for the rest of the season.

If the season ended today, the Cardinals would hold the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and they feel like prime candidates to pursue a quarterback in the draft, such as Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, Oregon's Dante Moore or Alabama's Ty Simpson.

Given that Gannon inherited Murray, it is fair to wonder if the organization may be more willing to give Gannon one more year at the helm in the name of seeing what he can do with a different quarterback.

The three other teams in the NFC West are all playoff-bound with 11 or more wins, though, which suggests it could be tough sledding again for the Cardinals next season regardless of who they have at coach and quarterback.

Arizona will conclude its 2025 regular season on Sunday with a road game against the Los Angeles Rams, and although Gannon will likely be coaching to win and potentially save his job, it can be argued that a loss would be more beneficial in terms of the Cardinals positioning themselves for a quarterback in the draft.