‘Stud’ Coach Who Frustrated Packers To Interview for Defensive Coordinator

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In Week 7, the Green Bay Packers beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-23. Afterward, coach Matt LaFleur was complementary of Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon and his defensive coordinator, Nick Rallis.

“Gannon, I think, does a hell of a job,” LaFleur said. “Rallis does a hell of a job. Those guys are really good coaches.”

LaFleur is looking for a defensive coordinator to replace Jeff Hafley. Gannon, who was fired after a 3-14 season, will interview for the vacancy this week, according to NFL Network.

The #Packers are slated to interview former #AZCardinals HC Jonathan Gannon for their defensive coordinator job this week, sources say. Gannon has interest from multiple teams as a DC, notably the #Cowboys, who interviewed him today. pic.twitter.com/UKWu8Iahpf
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 21, 2026

Gannon, 42, spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator. In 2021, Philadelphia finished 18th in points allowed but 10th in total defense. In 2022, it improved to eighth in points and second in total defense. The Eagles earned the No. 1 seed and routed the Giants and 49ers by a combined 69-14 in the playoffs before losing to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Gannon parlayed that performance into the head job with Arizona. He couldn’t turn the Cardinals around, though. They went 4-13 in 2023, 8-9 in 2024 and 3-14 in 2025. Respectively, those defenses finished 31st in points and 25th in yards, 15th in points and 21st in yards and 29th in points and 27th in yards.

Other than finishing ninth on third down, the Cardinals were across-the-board bad in 2025. They gave the Packers fits, though. Green Bay managed only 262 total yards – its fourth-lowest output of the season – and went 3-of-10 on third down. The longest play of the day was for just 22 yards.

“From an offensive standpoint, it was a very frustrating day overall in regards to they did a hell of a job of keeping an umbrella on the defense,” LaFleur said. “There weren’t many looks where we could throw the ball down the field.

“It was one of those dink-and-duck-type games. Not that we didn’t get a couple shots downfield, but they were playing pretty soft, and took a lot of things that we wanted to do or that we saw on tape away and just try to make us play perfect, which we were far from perfect. So, give credit to them. I got a lot of respect for those guys.”

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni raved about what Gannon meant to his team.

“This guy is an incredible coordinator. People love to play for this guy,” Sirianni said after beating the Giants on their way to the Super Bowl. “Every time I hear (criticism) about Jonathan Gannon, I laugh to myself. As a matter of fact, coaches from other teams ask me, ‘Does Jonathan Gannon get crap here?’ I’m like, ‘Somehow, yeah.’ Like, this guy is incredible.

“He’s going to be a head football coach in the National Football League because of what he does. This guy is a stud. He’s a stud.”

Gannon spent four seasons as a quality coach with esteemed Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, calling him one of his “greatest” mentors.

““He’s a good football coach,” Gannon said of Zimmer. “He taught us a lot of things, so we use that. Anybody you’re around, you try to take all the good from it and see why those people that you’re working for are successful, so, hopefully, every coach on this staff has done this a little bit. I know I have.”

When he was hired, Gannon said he was big on accountability.

“Player accountability is simply this: You have to define what winning behavior is and hold people to that standard,” Gannon said upon being hired. “Accountability is not just a negative. It’s a positive, too. When people do the right thing, that is winning behavior … as hard as we are going to be on our guys, we’re going to love them up even more. That’s how you win games."

“The ultimate accountability is not wanting to let your teammate down when you are going about your business.”

Two-time All-Pro safety Budda Baker, by far Arizona’s best player over the last several years, signed a contract extension with the Cardinals in part because of the presence of Gannon.

“It’s just been great to have these guys come in and show true leadership and try to just build something special here,” Baker said. “Ultimately, it’s all about winning games, but you’ve got to have a great head coach in order to have those building blocks in order to win. So just having the opportunity to be a part of this is definitely a special blessing. Very glad to be here.”

With the expectation that linebackers coach Sean Duggan will follow Hafley to Miami, just like he followed Hafley from Boston College to Green Bay, Rallis could join Gannon on a potential defensive staff. He was the Eagles’ linebackers coach for the two seasons in which Gannon was the defensive coordinator.

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