It’s now official. The Green Bay Packers formally announced on Monday that they have hired Jonathan Gannon as their new defensive coordinator, replacing Jeff Hafley, who left to take the job as head coach
of the Miami Dolphins. Gannon was most recently the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals for the last three seasons.
A statement from head coach Matt LaFleur on Gannon’s hiring, published in the Packers’ press release, said the following:
“We are thrilled to add Jonathan Gannon to our coaching staff. He possesses tremendous experience as an NFL coordinator and head coach. I am confident that he will be an outstanding addition to our organization, as well as a strong leader of our defense.”
Interestingly, the formal announcement comes more than a week after reports of Gannon’s hiring leaked through NFL reporters. That news broke eight days ago, on the morning of Sunday, January 25th. By contrast, Hafley’s hiring in 2024 was a bit of a surprise, with the Packers making a formal announcement on the same day that the news broke.
By now, Green Bay is already well underway in hiring new assistant coaches for the defense, as several new hires have been reported. Those expected to join Gannon’s defensive staff are Bobby Babich (reportedly as secondary coach/pass game coordinator), Sam Siefkes (linebackers coach), and Daniel Bullocks (no title reported, but likely to be focused on defensive backs).
However, none of these assistant hires have yet been formally announced. Last season, the Packers made several changes to their coaching staff, but did not make formal announcements until April 3rd, which suggests that there may still be some time before they officially reveal the staff for the 2026 season.
The Packers have not yet announced a date for an introductory press conference for Gannon. Hafley’s first presser took place on February 22, 2024, about three weeks after his official hire date, suggesting that the Packers will give Gannon some time to settle in and work on finalizing their coaching staff before making any new coaches available to the media.
