Football is rough business. The sport can turn heroes into villains and popular coaches into lunkheads almost overnight.
Just ask Sam Leavitt. Just ask Jonathan Gannon.
The perception of both changed dramatically in 2025. Leavitt was on the verge of athletic immortality in Tempe, only to end up in the transfer portal and an enemy of the state.
Gannon isn’t that toxic yet. But he’s not far behind.
Following a 17-point defeat to the Rams in Week 18, the Cardinals finished the season with nine consecutive losses. In three seasons at the helm, Gannon is 15-36. Diehard fans gave him two full years of patience and grace. There has been no reward.
Gannon’s first five losses in 2025 were nailbiters that sustained hope, creating an illusion that the Cardinals were close to the postseason. They were also stained by coaching errors, revealing a staff that struggles in high-leverage moments. The next eight losses were mostly embarrassing blowouts and derelictions of duty.
To their credit, the final defeat in Los Angeles was a spirited effort from everyone, from the ascendant Michael Wilson to a defense that has been missing for months. It came against a Super Bowl contender that had much to play for, and it came in the obvious defense of a head coach on a hot seat, a head coach who has consistently scored high marks in the annual NFLPA report card.
And yet the Cardinals still gave up 37 points.
Emotions are raw. Most NFL franchises would never retain a head coach who failed to post a winning record or a playoff berth in his first three seasons, a head coach who twice posted 13 or more losses. Especially in the NFC West, a division full of great teams and elite coaching. How do you feel hopeful when your nearest competitors are miles and miles ahead, specks on the horizon?
Trial balloons are floating all over Arizona. Most NFL insiders are repeating the same message, that Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort will likely be back in 2026, with one last chance to pick their own quarterback, along with significant changes to the coaching staff. But none of them know for sure because heavy conversations still remain inside the organization.
If Michael Bidwill is waiting to gauge the fallout, he’s already missing the plot. As one keen observer notes, much of the recent online angst comes from Cardinals fans who are spelling Bidwill’s surname correctly, which suggests they are not fringe fans fleeing for the exits. They are fans that have been waiting for a long time. And for many, the flame no longer flickers and hope no longer floats.
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
