Several NFL clubs have already fired their head coaches, namely the Tennessee Titans and the New York Football Giants. On Black Monday, which is the next day after the final regular season league game, it is expected that between four and six other head coaches will be left without a team.
RELATED: COACHING CANDIDATES TO REPLACE JONATHAN GANNON
ESPN football analyst Bill Barnwell recently posted his list of the most desirable NFL head coaching openings, provided these teams do indeed fire their head coaches,
that is.
Are the Arizona Cardinals on that list? Right now, there is a nest of questions about where this roster is heading and its future.
Because the franchise sits at 3-11-0, the most obvious move would be to fire head coach Jonathan Gannon. After all, this is year three of the three-year plan, and the team has gone backwards instead of upwardly mobile with a playoff berth. Instead, every other NFC West Division club is postseason-bound, leaving the Cardinals to fend for crumbs at the bottom of the division.
Will Gannon be given the boot? The consensus among fans is yes.
Gannon is a bright football mind and would land somewhere else in a coordinator position rather quickly. He is well-respected around the league and has done a good job as a defensive coordinator, which seems to be his forte.
Barnwell looked at which teams will most likely can their head coach, then he ranked them the most desirable rosters for new head coaching prospects.
Here is the list:
#1 Cincinnati Bengals
This is because of QB Joe Burrow and his receiver crew, including Ja’Marr Chase
#2 Arizona Cardinals
Projected 2026 cap space: 17th most ($39.2 million)
Projected 2026 draft capital: sixth most
Barnwell points out that the Cardinals are a much better team than their 3-11-0 record. They are 2-7 in games decided by seven points or fewer. He also points out all of the games in which they had the lead or were tied, and then fell apart, blew leads, and lost key ballgames.
Do these facts mean Gannon will keep his job? Barnwell says no. That is part of the head coach’s job to keep things in perspective. Remember when the Cardinals were down by 14 points to the Seattle Seahawks and came back to tie them? But then allowed the Seahawks to win with 28 seconds remaining. Excused, or inexcusable?
The defense has collapsed, which is in Gannon’s wheelhouse. He is a defensive mind, and yet all of these losses were the result of defensive failures very late in games. This Cardinals defense is dead last in points allowed per possession (2.9) across the current six-game losing streak. In a season during which the defense was supposed to take a major step forward, it’s falling behind.
Regarding the Arizona job, Barnwell had this opinion:
“I’d still argue that there’s a fair amount to like in Arizona. The Cardinals do have plenty of promising talent on defense, where Josh Sweat has been excellent and young players like Walter Nolen, Will Johnson, and Garrett Williams have had moments where they’ve looked to be potential standouts. Trey McBride has been spectacular, and though Marv Harrison and Paris Johnson haven’t necessarily lived up to their draft position, they should settle in as above-average starters at key positions. GM Monti Ossenfort has done a good job of adding draft capital, and though there’s work to be done on the interior of the offensive line and at linebacker, there’s unquestionably young talent.”
The looming issue with the Cardinals is the QB position. Do they make a trade to send Kyler Murray away, or keep him and let Jacoby Brissett have an open competition in training camp next summer? Having the loser as a backup is a good problem to have. Or does Arizona take a high draft pick and secure a young buck to groom?
Barnwell does mention the issue for the Cardinals in the league’s toughest division:
“The other issue is the division. The Cardinals are stuck in a juggernaut of an NFC West, where the 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks all have 10 or more wins under potential Coach of the Year candidates. If you’re a coach with options, the idea of ending up in, say, the NFC South might be a lot more appealing than an NFC West division where going 3-3 might feel wildly successful in any given season.”
But this fact shouldn’t be a deterrent. Look at the Chicago Bears. They have been the bottom of their division for years, with the likes of the Green Bay Packers in the Aaron Rodgers days, plus the emergence of the Detroit Lions the past few seasons, and the Minnesota Vikings. Now, Chicago sits on top of the division despite its division foes all being good teams.
The NFL is designed for teams like Arizona to flop one year, then ascend and take over the division the following season with the right signings in free agency and smart draft choices. It can – and does – happen rapidly in this league.
Barnwell concluded:
“If the Cardinals nail the coach and get their quarterback situation right this offseason, they might have the ability to make that same sort of leap in 2026.”
——————————————————————————————————————————————-
The rest of Barnwell’s list:
#3 Cleveland Browns
#4 Tennessee Titans
#5 New York Football Giants
#6 Atlanta Falcons
#7 Miami Dolphins
#8 Las Vegas Raiders
