Jan. 20, 2026, 7:48 p.m. CT

Jonathan Gannon will interview for the defensive coordinator role in Green Bay this week, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, as the former Arizona Cardinals head coach becomes the third confirmed interview for the open position with the Packers.

The 43-year-old Gannon was fired earlier this month after three years in Arizona, where he compiled a winning percentage of just .294. The Cardinals went 4-13, 8-9 and 3-14 in his tenure.

Before Green Bay’s matchup with Arizona last year, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur – who will be deciding on the next defensive coordinator – called Gannon “a really good coach.” The Packers won the game, 27-23, but gained just 262 total yards, their fourth lowest in a game in 2025.

Gannon’s stint with the Cardinals followed two years as the defensive coordinator in Philadelphia, which was the first time he called plays in his career.

The Eagles defense finished in the top 10 in both scoring and expected points added (EPA) per game in his last season in charge, making it to Super Bowl LVII, which they ultimately lost to the Chiefs.

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Before his time in Philly, Gannon spent three years as the defensive backs coach for the Colts, four years as the assistant defensive backs coach for the Vikings, and two years as a quality control coach with the Titans.

In Indianapolis, Gannon worked under coordinator Matt Eberflus and was part of a defense that ranked in the top 10 in EPA per game in two out of three years. Eberflus was named head coach of the Bears as a result of his success with the Colts.

Gannon also worked under Mike Zimmer, one of the more successful defensive coaches of the modern era, during his four-year spell in Minnesota and his one year in Atlanta.

Former Packers cornerbacks coach and pass game coordinator Jerry Gray was Gannon’s defensive coordinator when he was in Tennessee. Gray worked with Matt LaFleur for three years, so there is a connection there.

Interestingly, Gannon also spent two years as a scout with the Rams between 2009 and 2011, after getting his first NFL gig as a quality control coach in Atlanta in 2007.

All three of the coaches confirmed to be interviewing with the Packers so far have coached defensive backs in the past, as did previous defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who was just named the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins. This may not be a coincidence.

According to Garafolo’s reporting, Gannon also has interest from Dallas, where he interviewed today.

He was part of some controversial on-camera moments in his time in Arizona, including appearing to strike running back Emari Demercado on the sideline after an error which contributed to the Cardinals blowing a 21-3 lead to the Titans last October.

The head coach apologized to the player and the team and was fined $100,000 for the incident.

More generally, his personality seems quite different from that of Hafley, so hiring Gannon could be a bit of a risk in that sense.

However, his lengthy experience in a number of roles with various NFL teams, including coordinating a very successful defense with the Eagles, makes him one of the more qualified coaches the Packers could interview and a legitimate candidate to secure the job.