Jonathon Gannon breaks down the Arizona Cardinals’ struggles
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathon Gannon discussed the team’s need to have players ready to compete on game day.
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is focused on the next game amid questions about his job security.Reports suggest the Cardinals’ defensive line and defensive backs coaches may be leaving for college football positions.
The future of Jonathan Gannon as Arizona Cardinals head coach has been a topic for weeks, with the team mired in a six-game losing streak and its record at 3-11 as it plays out the rest of the regular season.
Gannon has been able to avoid the noise, he said, by concentrating on his job.
On Monday, Dec. 15, Gannon was asked what his pitch to Cardinals ownership would be to remain as head coach next season.
“There’s no pitch,” Gannon said. “Concentrate on Atlanta.”
Gannon said he has discussions with Cardinals principal owner Michael Bidwill “every day” about what can be done to “get this team rolling.”
The Atlanta Falcons are the Cardinals’ opponent on Sunday, Dec. 21, in the final home game of the 2025 season.
Gannon added to his response about a pitch to Bidwill to stay on.
“Your pitch, Theo, is I believe in myself and I believe in our team,” Gannon said to The Arizona Republic’s Theo Mackie. “We are at a dip right now, and we’re going through some adversity. But I do believe in us, and we’ll get out of the dip.”
Gannon said he concentrates on the opponent for the week, but has to have some foresight in terms of what has happened this season and what needs to be looked at with a critical eye and changed going forward.
“Health and development are two of the biggest things for me,” Gannon said. “There’s a lot of different factors that go into that, and I’m responsible for all of them.”
Report says Cardinals OL coach on the move
According to a Dec. 15 report from 247 Sports, Cardinals defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III will join the Michigan State staff as the Spartans’ new defensive line coach.
Gannon was asked about the report, and first said he had nothing to add about it.
Another report, from Rivals, said Cardinals defensive backs coach Patrick Toney could be leaving the NFL to become defensive coordinator at Ole Miss under new head coach Pete Golding.
Where’s Kyler Murray?
Gannon was asked if quarterback Kyler Murray is around the team and involved despite being on injured reserve and having been ruled out for the rest of the season.
“He’s in the team meetings,” Gannon said. “He’s here rehabbing. He comes out to practice. He’s doing a good job.”
Murray’s future with the Cardinals is in question as the team decides how it will proceed with the current coaching staff and roster after missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
Injury updates
The Cardinals lost four players to injury on Sunday, Dec. 14, at Houston. Running back Bam Knight (ankle) and wide receiver Andre Baccellia were carted off the field.
Baccellia, who left the field on a stretcher with a neck injury, was able to fly back to Arizona with the team.
“He was doing OK (Monday),” Gannon said.
Defensive back Darren Hall is in concussion protocol after leaving in the fourth quarter trying to tackle Texans wide receiver Nico Collins.
Linebacker Cody Simon has knee and ankle injuries from trying to tackle Texans running back Woody Marks. Simon was sore on Dec. 15, Gannon said.
José M. Romero can be reached at jose.romero@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @RomeroJoseM or Instagram at @romerojosem.