Klayton Adams’ Exit Still Felt as Cardinals Face Cowboys on Monday Night Football

Former Cardinals assistant Klayton Adams and head coach Jonathan Gannon reflect on their time together and what it means to face off as the Cardinals meet the Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams speaks with the media as he is introduced as a new hire with fellow coaches at the Cardinals facility in Tempe on March 8, 2023. Nfl Cardinals Offensive Assistant Coaches Introduction | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Klayton Adams' departure from the Arizona Cardinals this offseason is still being felt.

Adams, the team's offensive line coach, accepted a promotion to become the Dallas Cowboys' offensive coordinator ahead of 2025.

Adams was head coach Jonathan Gannon's top assistant during his tenure in the desert, as he also handled help in run-game schematics and offensive game-planning for the Cardinals.

Ahead of the Cardinals-Cowboys clash on Monday Night Football, both Gannon and Adams spoke on the reunion.

Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams speaks with the media as he is introduced as a new hire with fellow coaches at the Cardinals facility in Tempe on March 8, 2023. Nfl Cardinals Offensive Assistant Coaches Introduction | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

"Obviously, he was in our building for two years and I would think more for us defensively going against their offense when you put together a plan, what does he like to do? What were some of his adjustments when we practiced versus each other?" Gannon said on the difficulty of game-planning with Adams in Dallas.

"Obviously talking with him and knowing him for a long time -- what he believes in, what his adjustments (are), all that stuff. At the end of the day, they have different players and different schemes. We have different players and different schemes. It's going to come down to blocking, defeating blocks, tackling and covering. For them throwing, catching and running. It's fundamentals.”

The Cowboys currently have one of the league's top offensive units while Arizona has taken a massive step back on that side of the ball.

“He's a good coach and he works at it. He does a really good job. They have good players on that ‘O-line’ -- they're highly invested, highly drafted," Gannon continued.

"They have a good (running) back and they have a good scheme, so they do a good job -- there's no doubt. He's on the details and he has a brain that can see the big picture but also boil it down to the main thing too.”

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon watches from the sidelines as they play against the Las Vegas Raiders at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, on Aug. 23, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For Adams, when speaking with Dallas reporters, the conversation was geared more towards the reunion between he and Gannon under the primetime lights.

"I'm very excited to see Jonathan Gannon. He and I were assistant coaches together in Indy and go way back," Adams said. "I was happy to go try to help him win a championship in his first head coaching opportunity. He's a good friend."

When asked about accepting an offensive coordinator position after just two years in Arizona, Adams added, "I wasn't thinking about it a ton. I usually wait until the season's over to kind of evaluate those types of things. But it took me by surprise a little bit. I was kind of full bore on we'll go into Year 3 and we think we're going to get better and all that. And the opportunity just happened."