For the past four weeks, it has been mentioned on numerous media sites and Arizona Cardinals podcasts that, as the season’s end, head coach Jonathan Gannon would be relieved of his duties.
After all, after beginning the year 2-0-0, the team has gone 1-13-0 since. They had quite a few games won in the last few minutes that got away from them, lost eight contests by less than a touchdown, and have been blown out in five games, including last Sunday’s 37-14 loss to one of the league’s worst teams, the Cincinnati
Bengals.
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But Gannon is saying to hold the phone regarding that firing. It won’t happen to him.
The final week of the 2025 NFL schedule is this upcoming weekend. Arizona plays its final game on the road against the Los Angeles Rams, who have already secured a spot in the postseason tournament. Kickoff is the afternoon game and broadcast on FOX. The Rams won the first match 45-17 four weeks ago.
The Cardinals are currently 3-13-0 and have an eight-game losing streak. Every club in the NFC West Division has earned a playoff spot except for Arizona.
In Gannon’s Monday press conference, he was asked if he would be in the same seat for next Monday’s presser.
Every NFL game will be played by next Sunday without a final Monday Night Football contest. The day after is referred to as “Black Monday” when head coaches and GMs get fired. Already, the New York Football Giants and Tennessee Titans have terminated their head coaches. It is estimated that as many as six teams will release their head coach, and Gannon has resided on every single one of these lists.
When asked about the possibility of him still being the head coach of the Cardinals next week, Gannon stated:
“Yeah. I have confidence in myself.”
Gannon may have confidence in himself as a football coach in this league and his ability to guide grown-ass men, but what about winning? Losing 13 games is nothing if this were Major League Baseball or the NHL. However, the NFL has a 17-game season. That’s it. Why does he believe that losing 13 of 16 games so far is a confidence builder?
Are there conversations being had about making changes?
He added:
“No one’s happy. I’m not happy. The players aren’t happy. Through adversity, you have to change. I have to change, and we have to change some things. But we’ll get to that. I’ve been through years like this and am not proud of them. But they happen. You learn, and you grow.”
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Gannon recognized that the media and the Cardinals fanbase have been discussing his job status for the past month. And he was asked if he had been told that he is safe for next year.
“I’m not going to get into all that. But I feel good.”
There was some speculation that the Cardinals might sit most of their starters and play their second-team players and some practice squad members against the Rams. Gannon wasn’t agreeing to that assessment:
“That locker room has a lot to play for this week. And they know that. We’ll have our best effort moving forward to go to LA. They have the Arizona Cardinal name on their back and the Arizona Cardinal name on their chest.”
Before this season, the Cardinals were mentioned as a dark horse that would surprise everyone in the league about how good they would be. Of course, the exact opposite occurred. An 8-9-0 club from last season just fell off the face of the earth and, in all likelihood, will end the season with 14 losses.
As his players clean out their lockers and watch the playoffs on their own big screen TV sets, what message does Gannon have for them regarding going forward?
“Two weeks from now, they will be watching these playoff games, and all these emotions are going to come up. They’re not going to be good emotions. That’s how I will feel and know that’s how they will feel. So, maximize the effort to go play a game and go out a winner.”
And so now, if Gannon does survive Black Monday, what will be his look into the offseason?
“I’ll review all that when the time comes. It’s a healthy blend of being focused and a little bit of forward thinking, evaluating everything. The first change that will be made will be to look at myself.”
