Cardinals Owner Michael Bidwill Reveals Why He Fired Jonathan Gannon

The Arizona Cardinals made a tough decision to fire Jonathan Gannon -- hear from team owner Michael Bidwill on the why.

Dec 21, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon against the Atlanta Falcons at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The search for the Arizona Cardinals' next head coach is officially underway.

Jonathan Gannon was fired earlier this morning after three seasons of service, clearing way for the Cardinals to make a fresh start at the position entering a pivotal 2026 offseason.

Gannon spent three years in Arizona and ultimately couldn't find any success, winning just 15 games and failing to make the postseason.

Team owner Michael Bidwill met with reporters on why Gannon was sent packing this morning.

Michael Bidwill Gets Honest on Firing Jonathan Gannon

Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill talks with head coach Jonathan Gannon before playing against the New York Jets at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Nov. 10, 2024. | Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you all for being here. As you all know, this morning we spoke with Jonathan Gannon and let him know that we're going to go in a different direction with our head coach. Jonathan is a very smart, motivated, enthusiastic, intelligent, awesome coach," Bidwill told reporters.

"He and his staff, their families, Gina Gannon and their families gave so much and so much sacrifice to this organization. We're so appreciative of what he put into this organization. He made us better. But I think, as you all know, this is a league about wins and losses. 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. So we did that this morning, and we're embarking on a search that Monti [Ossenfort] will be leading to bring on our next head coach of the Arizona Cardinals."

Bidwill will now be tasked with bringing on the team's third head coach in five seasons, as he's still paying Kliff Kingsbury from 2022 and will now be on the hook for the rest of Gannon's salary on top of hiring a fresh face.

The Cardinals won their first two games before losing their final 14 of 15 matchups, something that just couldn't be ignored by Bidwill.

Wins And Losses Mattered Most

"We were going in the wrong direction, it seemed like. It came down to wins and losses. We've won one game since week two of the NFL season, and it just felt like it had gotten too far, and it was just time to go in a different direction," said Bidwill.

Many believe general manager Monti Ossenfort was also potentially going to be fired, as Arizona's roster was underwhelmed with poor play and injuries.

"I look at the roster, I think Monti's done a very good job. Three years ago, this roster looked a lot different [thanks] to a combination of draft and free agency, injuries are obviously a factor," Bidwill said.

"But when I look at the just the totality of the circumstances -- I wanted 17 games over the 18 weeks to make that decision. Monti and I wanted to give the benefit of those coaches and those players to see a whole body of work for the whole season. And at the end of last night, when we had a chance to speak. And then again, this morning, after sleeping on it, we decided this was the best direction to go."

Bidwill again emphasized the decision came down to the team's record. Arizona hasn't made the postseason since 2021 and hasn't won a playoff game since 2015.

"It simply gets down to wins and losses. I don't want to look through every play or every game or everything along those lines. At the end of the day, it's pretty simple. It boils down to wins and losses, and we let too many of them get away," he said.

"... I know our fans are frustrated. I am more frustrated. I know Monti is more frustrated. And so is JG and every one of those coaches and players. We all expected more. But when I look at it, some of the changes that were made with other teams just a year or two years ago, those teams with new coaches from a year or two ago are now in the playoffs, playing this weekend.

"I know we can turn it around, and I'm looking forward to getting going with this search because it's going to be a great opportunity for us to be that next story where we flip it around."

When asked to deliver a message from the fan base, Bidwill offered:

"We want to win. This was a decision that was based solely off winning. When I look at what other teams have done, and frankly, historically, we've done a quick turnaround in our not too distant past, I am looking forward to that, and I hope it's going to be in the first year, not in the second year," he said.

"But we're confident that our search is going to be thorough, it's going to be broad, and we're going to select the right coach."