Jonathan Gannon Brings Experience to Super Bowl Chasing Packers
Gannon was easily the most qualified of the coaches Green Bay reportedly had an interest in for their defensive coordinator position.
By markoldacres
Jonathan Gannon will become the next defensive coordinator in Green Bay, taking over from Jeff Hafley. His hiring comes with some reasons for skepticism.
Gannon was just fired by the Cardinals after three losing seasons in which the defense was mostly pretty poor. There are questions over his personality, having been involved in some viral moments which don’t paint him in the best light.
But there are important caveats in that Arizona’s defense was devoid of talent, and Gannon did not actually call plays for the Cardinals (perhaps a mistake in hindsight).
He also coordinated a strong defense in Philadelphia previously, taking a defense which people over-exaggerate the quality of to the Super Bowl.
What Gannon most importantly brings to Green Bay is vast experience for such a young coach.
At 43 years old, he has spent 18 years in NFL coaching and personnel departments. That is the same as Christian Parker, Daronte Jones and Jim Leonhard – three other reported candidates for the job – have combined. It is five more years than Al Harris, who is eight years older than Gannon.
Gannon is also the only one of the coaches Green Bay was reported to be interested in who has called plays in the NFL, and of course, the only one who has sat in the big chair and been a head coach.
Matt LaFleur seemed to like the fact Hafley had been a head coach before coming to the Packers, and he was able to trust him to run the show, not having to oversee too much with the defense himself, as he did towards the end of Joe Barry’s tenure.
Gannon’s head coaching experience was likely an attractive quality to LaFleur.
He has worked under some well known defensive minds like Mike Zimmer, Matt Eberflus and former Packers coach Jerry Gray, and has coached some quality players like Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes and Kenny Moore when working as a defensive backs coach in the past.
Unusually for a coach, Gannon has also seen the personnel side of things, working as a scout with the St. Louis Rams for three years. That experience should help with his ability to evaluate his players in Green Bay, as well as offer input on any potential additions that could help his defense.
There were candidates for the job that may have been more exciting, at least in part due to the unknown of what they would look like as a defensive coordinator.
But with the Packers in a championship window, Gannon was easily the most qualified candidate the team was confirmed to have an interest in, and is the most ready made to walk through the door and run a defense from day one.
Green Bay could not afford a season of growing pains that can come with a less experienced coach, and after a lot of talk about their methods of hiring coaches in recent weeks, they cannot be accused of cheaping out or cutting corners with this hire.
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Mark Oldacres is a sports writer from Birmingham, England and a Green Bay Packers fan. You can follow him on twitter at @MarkOldacres
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Comments (60)
TarynsEyes
January 26, 2026 at 11:59 am
"they cannot be accused of cheaping out or cutting corners with this hire".
With the performance of the Defense in Arizona, it seems GB simply paid more for the same level of disappointment.
Please, the Packers are not an SB chasing team, except in the minds of those who refuse to see what is real. Limping into the playoffs, by the grace of a 7th seed money-grabbing creation, this team only chases its own tail, and believes it's the finish line.
T7Steve
January 26, 2026 at 12:05 pm
The Patriots weren't SB chasing either, coming off a 3-13 season. Who really knows what can happen season to season. The "experts" sure don't.
crayzpackfan
January 26, 2026 at 12:22 pm
The Patriots have a really good coach, and have/had cap room to go get really nice pieces to add to the team in the offseason last year. They also have a recent history entrenched in Super Bowl culture. Unfortunately, GB does not have most of these things in place. We also don't have an owner who demands excellence, those traits must come from within the locker room amongst the players and coaches. I don't think the fast turn a round in New England is as much of a surprise as it seems to you. But you are right, the league has a baked in parity recipe allowing for, what you alluded to, an anything can happen from one year to the next reality. So, like you said, one never knows.
GregC
January 26, 2026 at 12:35 pm
I think the Patriots' quick turnaround was a surprise for almost everyone. Also remember that coming into this season, Mike Vrabel had a 2-3 playoff record and looked a lot like one of those coaches who can only take a team so far. The Patriots hit big on several draft picks and free agent signings, and unlike the Packers, they did not lose their two best players to season-ending injuries. They even got an extra boost at the end, when the Broncos' starting QB could not play in the AFC championship game.
jannesbjornson
January 26, 2026 at 02:48 pm
He hit on his draft picks. He didn't waste capital. Coaching 101 from Pop Warner, "take the points." I do not know why the proclivity to gamble in the first quarter of games? Let's ask the "bounty hunter."
TarynsEyes
January 26, 2026 at 12:36 pm
They weren't, but GB has been, we've been told yearly since MLF came, that they were, and NE is and GB is still on the couch. It speaks volumes, if one only wants to listen. Look at the turn around in Denver by Payton in two years, look at Seattle, Chicago who kicked GB out, look around and see all that is succeeding while GB sits idle again, and again, and again, hoping for a better next year that just becomes a rerun. NE fell into despair when Brady left, and more, after BB left, and here they are again for a 5th time since GB and Rodgers earned the honor. Nobody knows what will happen each year, but it's becoming safe to say, GB won't, and NE can't be kept out too long.
LambeauPlain
January 26, 2026 at 01:03 pm
Two first year coaches with new coaching staffs for the two SB teams. Coaching matters...A LOT.
Calling Gannon the most qualified of the DC candidates is rather hyperbolic, especially since Mark stated this fact: "Gannon was just fired by the Cardinals after three losing seasons in which the defense was mostly pretty poor."
The most experienced of the DC candidates? Sure. He has great experience for a 43 year old.
"Experience", as a recruiting expert once told me, is a helpful characteristic but not as valuable as recent performance results. He cautioned "experience too often is manifested in people who nod wisely and speak foolishly."
There were several qualified DC candidates I'd rate as high or higher than Gannon...Leonhard, Flores, Harris, maybe Morris. As it is now, I am fine with Gannon. He was in my top 4 or 5.
My hope is Gannon may end up being a very good coordinator who is not a good HC. A Peter Principle states people often rise to their personal level of incompetence. Many companies take the super salesman or saleswoman and make them their Sales Manager and end up regretting it.
GregC
January 26, 2026 at 02:03 pm
The Seahawks coach is in his second year, not his first. At any rate, both teams made significant upgrades to their rosters while their younger players grew into their roles. Both coaches have done a great job, but they were not the whole reason for the improvements.
LambeauPlain
January 27, 2026 at 09:23 am
That's right...2nd year.
"Both coaches have done a great job, but they were not the whole reason for the improvements."
Obviously. I did not state they were....just that coaching matters a lot...as they turned losing teams very quickly.
LambeauPlain
January 26, 2026 at 01:56 pm
Coaching and key players staying healthy seem to be the fuel for teams going from worst to first. It is often a short trip in the NFL today.
Would a season of play from Parsons, Kraft, Watson/Reed/Wicks, Wyatt, Jacobs, Tom, Van Ness have made a difference in the win column? Of course.
How about the Playoffs? I don't know. Maybe. The playoffs were so very competitive this year and LaFleur again started fast and faded late. In close games, you have to be able to "close" them out.
Hope Gannon can help with that. Maybe he will be the new Associate HC.
Leatherhead
January 26, 2026 at 03:27 pm
I'll take this a step further. Would Wyatt,Kraft, Parsons, Jenkins have made difference in the game that ended our season? Yes, of course.
My suggestion for improving our ability to close out games is that we improve the offensive line so that we can pick up short yardage and grind the clock when we have a lead. I think that'll help more than any other single improvement as far as closing out games.
The new DC inherits a veteran group of defenders....McKinney, Williams, Bullard,Nixon, Valentine, Gary, VanNess, Parsons, Cooper, McDuffie,Wyatt, Brooks, Wooden, Hobbs. These are all guys that have played quite a few snaps in the NFL already.
Then, the guys, like Oladapo, and Hopper, and Stackhouse and Brinson and Sorrell and Oliver, all of whom I expect to make the 53.
I guess the word I'm looking for is "seasoned". These guys have played and practiced together for a while, and I think the new DC has a great opportunity here. These guys know the NFL game.
TarynsEyes
January 26, 2026 at 03:35 pm
"These guys know the NFL game".
They have a funny way of showing it, a tad too often.
Leatherhead
January 26, 2026 at 04:04 pm
Well, unlike you, these guys aren't perfect.
Since'61
January 26, 2026 at 10:08 pm
LH - They are a seasoned group of defenders but they often do not play like it. In particular Nixon should have been chucked for stepping out of the way of the Bears RB and allowing him to score a TD untouched. What kind of message does that send to the rest of the team if a player is allowed to do that? Especially after the bad penalties he takes and his being beaten by opposing receivers on numerous plays.
Hopefully Gannon brings some discipline and infuses the defense with a nasty attitude. Thanks, Since '61
SicSemperTyrannis
January 27, 2026 at 09:22 am
It seems to me that the second string of 6 players you listed will be the bigger variable in our defense going forward. If they can develop on schedule that'll be HUGE, whereas the veteran group of 14 players you listed, we know what to expect from them. (Although they might not all return?)
I have no idea how much any DC might impact this very important aspect of the team, but I weight it heavily.
Starrbrite
January 26, 2026 at 12:43 pm
Taryn—whom did you want or recommend?
TarynsEyes
January 26, 2026 at 01:03 pm
I don't, and that is of no value, I can only go by who GB selects and then look at their success or lack of. The NFL is such a high regurgitation business now, and surprises me how teams hire failed coaches thinking they'll be different/better elsewhere. It happens, sure, but not nearly enough to justify the regurgitation. The backup QB pool is a good indicator of regurgitation. Paying them millions to fail for you, like everywhere they played, with an outlier here and there, though very rare.
With that, you have to have players that can play, and that is the most important aspect for a Coach to succeed, players, players, players.
GregC
January 26, 2026 at 02:14 pm
Of course you don't recommend anyone, because then if they were hired and they struggled, you wouldn't be able to complain.
It would be interesting to compare the records of regurgitated coaches vs. newbies. I'm guessing it wouldn't be too different, but I really don't know. Bill Bellichick was a failed coach before he came to New England, so he would tip the balance quite a bit.
TarynsEyes
January 26, 2026 at 03:31 pm
I don't complain to complain, I complain about bad decisions, players, and coaching.
I used to recommend players, both FA and draftees, but I got the same response from the masses here. I said Starks would be a viable asset, I said Janis was a better choice than Abbederis, I liked Fackrel and all were dismissed, yet each did for the team what many here said they couldn't. Starks ran us to an SB, Janis made the SPT unit tons better and was a decent 5th WR, and Fackrell was a better producer than Perry ever was or could be. I said Grahan was a waste of time, as was Bennett, Richard Rodgers, not to forget the debacle that was Finley, and the Peppers signing is what the Parsons move is kin to. A short list of my previous recommendations, but legitimate reasons, which I was awarded thousands of dislikes over the years, which mean nothing more than a point to how right I was, and likely will remain being.
P.S. All three mentioned were actual, on record selections made by here on CHTV and the old Jersey Al site.
I'm sure the dislike button will be going off quickly and often after this comment.
Since'61
January 26, 2026 at 10:18 pm
Taryn Regrettably the NFL has always been a regurgitation league when it comes to coaches. They have always taken care of their own and rotated coaches throughout the league. More recently it has reached a very high level and it is reflected in the level of play on the field which like the officiating has been deteriorating for years.
As for the backup QB pool it doesn't get much worse than bringing back Philip Rivers after 5 seasons away from the league. What's next bringing back Brett Favre? Who knows but much of what happens now just seems like desperation by the teams. Thanks, Since '61
murf7777
January 27, 2026 at 08:29 am
I’m not predicting GB will get to the SB, but they are certainly in the hunt.
Neither Seattle nor New England made the playoffs last year. You seem to miss a core principle: when a team fields a very good QB and a game-changing defensive player(s), they are immediately in the Super Bowl hunt. Predicting teams will not win or even get to the Super Bowl is easy because the odds of being right are always overwhelmingly in your favor. I thought you were finally seeing the team's optimistic potential, but you’ve clearly slipped back into your old 'Taryn' ways with all this negativity.
T7Steve
January 26, 2026 at 12:03 pm
This might be better than the Al Harris pick even, which was the one I was hoping for, just because he was a Packer and to take him away from the Bears.
Haven't heard what kind of defense Gannon runs and don't remember, but I hope it's not going to change everything all over again, just fill hole and shore up what was starting to look good early last season and fell apart towards the end.
packer132
January 26, 2026 at 12:32 pm
Gannon didn't call plays with the Cardinals though his defense played dime (6 DB's) more often than the Packers. Cardinals did rank near the top in least busted coverage in 2025. I am hopeful with this hire, and he does have a decent amount of experience.
T7Steve
January 26, 2026 at 01:10 pm
Thanks. I can't remember the D he had in Philly, but I don't think it was a three-man front.
With the players the Packers have right now, I can't see 6-DBs working very well, (even if it's an extra safety) but the LBs don't cover so well either, so we'll see.
Coldworld
January 26, 2026 at 01:35 pm
Gannon comes from the Fangio/Eberflus tree. Interestingly though, as a HC he went a different path. It’s not as obvious what he will do as it is with most potential coordinators.
SicSemperTyrannis
January 27, 2026 at 09:44 am
Why try to turn Al Harris into a DC? What we need is great positional coaches and assistants to teach technique, and ex-Packers players seem perfect for that role.
GreenAndGold_1963
January 26, 2026 at 12:18 pm
The Patriots have been to 6 Super Bowls since the last packers sb appearance. Let that sink in.
Handsback
January 26, 2026 at 12:53 pm
Does the name Tom Brady ring a bell?
LambeauPlain
January 26, 2026 at 01:07 pm
Yes, but not as loud a clang as "Aaron Rodgers".
GreenAndGold_1963
January 26, 2026 at 03:08 pm
Does ZERO Super Bowl appearances ring a bell????
GreenAndGold_1963
January 26, 2026 at 03:11 pm
Furthermore Tom Brady played in the AFC with 1year exception of Tamp Bay Not appearing in the SB has ZERO to do with Tom Brady and everything to do with the Packers front office
GreenandBold
January 26, 2026 at 06:31 pm
And they were smart enough to hire someone as a GM that the Packers let walk away .
Handsback
January 26, 2026 at 12:19 pm
I think Gannon will be a very good coordinator. It won't hurt that he has some very good talent in GB's starting safeties, Cooper at Ilb, and Parson as an elite pass rusher. How he plays to their strength, is a measure of his skills.
JMHO
bullsa21
January 27, 2026 at 03:30 pm
Heres hoping hes not Joe Barry 2.0
Starrbrite
January 26, 2026 at 12:57 pm
I think it’s a good hire—sneaky good perhaps? I felt he was under the radar and he will be at least, if not better than Hafley.
He doesn’t appear as a rah-rah guy, but he projects a quiet confidence—that’s good—right?
Go Packers!!!
LambeauPlain
January 26, 2026 at 01:10 pm
I don't think Gannon was under the radar at all...it is why LaFleur rushed to hire him before the interview he apparently was going to conduct with Jim Leonhard as soon as today. Both Harbaugh's were after him and read a 3rd team made him an opening offer.
Every NFL team knows Gannon and from what I have gleaned is held in high regard with the league.
Starrbrite
January 26, 2026 at 03:58 pm
Yes—you’re probably right .
PackerBackerAZ
January 26, 2026 at 12:59 pm
Gannon didn't call the defense in Arizona. He let Rallis do that to the detriment of the team. He hit a player for doing a very dumb thing with the football. His record as a defensive coordinator, albeit short, was very good. The Packers have no outside corners or good nose tackles. The linebackers are going to be iffy as well. I don't see Gannon being able to be successful with only Parsons, Cooper, Bullard, Mckinney, Wyatt and Williams as legitimate starters. He'll have to be the second coming of Lombardi to overcome the defensive line and cornerback liabilities. I see his time in Arizona as a reason to have not hired him. Hopefully, he proves me wrong.
TarynsEyes
January 26, 2026 at 01:25 pm
He's a DC first, and hired the guy to run, his defensive mindset to a certain degree, and allowed that hire to make him look like crap, that is telling also.
TarynsEyes
January 26, 2026 at 01:23 pm
This should tell everyone how big a pile of bs the Pro Bowl is, Shedeur Sanders is on the AFC Pro Bowl roster. He's now a Pro Bowler, wholly crap. I would just assume end the Pro Bowl than denigrate what was once, an honored award, even if coming about by default of the obvious better unable to play in it.
TKWorldWide
January 26, 2026 at 01:39 pm
I thought it was “Holy crap,” but I’ve been wrong before.
I’m still adjusting to “what could of been” rather than “what could’ve been”, as well as “GB needs to add several lineman” rather than “GB needs to add several linemen.” 🤔
TarynsEyes
January 26, 2026 at 01:45 pm
I'm not a religious person, but I will respect them, to a point, and feel using Holy isn't proper.
TKWorldWide
January 26, 2026 at 03:20 pm
Well played, m’lady!
LeotisHarris
January 26, 2026 at 05:51 pm
You're correct, TK. The real offense, the "Mother of God" part of the expression is replaced by cow, schnoikies, buckets, crap, sh*t, etc. That way, no one gets hit by lightening.
Now, if you have a wooly crap, please see your doctor, and if you spot a werewolf walking with a menu in his hand, please help him to find Lee Ho Fooks.
TKWorldWide
January 27, 2026 at 10:21 am
Will his hair be perfect?
Big fan of beef chow mein, but I like my lungs where they are now.
SicSemperTyrannis
January 27, 2026 at 09:49 am
Well that's a hole nother level ;)
Starrbrite
January 26, 2026 at 04:04 pm
That is for sure —I had to reread his appointment to the pro bowl—like, whaaat?
Strat
January 26, 2026 at 01:30 pm
People over-exaggerate the quality of the Packers defense too, last summer, all season, even now.
Some other exaggerations, "But with the Packers in a Championship Window." "Super Bowl Chasing." They're gonna need one hell of a lot faster vehicle. I watched four REAL Super Bowl chasing teams this weekend. They all made a few mistakes, but none of them did a world class collapse (although Tariq Woolen would fit right in with the Packers, make a great CB opposite Nixon). The Patriots were 4 - 13 last season. Their QB is only in his second year. I'm not a Patriots fan, but whether they win it or not, it's pretty impressive. Have to wonder how it happened so quickly...
I read an article about the Patriots releasing DE Darrell Taylor before the AFC Championship game. At the end of the article was the following, "For Vrabel and the Patriots, the moment underscored a clear message: roster decisions will be decisive, and sentiment will not stand in the way of progress."
Maybe that has something to do with it. If only...
BAMABADGER
January 26, 2026 at 02:16 pm
Taylor was with the Pats for a total of 9 days. Insurance most likely to fill an injury gap.
Would a quality NFL player rather play for Vrabel or Lafleur?
SicSemperTyrannis
January 27, 2026 at 09:52 am
Would a quality player rather be in the SB or one and done?
TKWorldWide
January 27, 2026 at 07:09 pm
Should I walk to school or carry my lunch?
Lare
January 26, 2026 at 02:05 pm
"Super Bowl Chasing Packers."
The Packers were just above average this season, the only Super Bowl chasing they were doing was looking for tickets.
harleycops
January 26, 2026 at 02:54 pm
What Gannon had in Philly and what he has in GB are two different teams/players. The jury is way out yet as to what this hire will become. I don't care for this DC pick, but I'll see in 8 months if I'm keeping or changing my opinion. That goes for all of PackerNation as well! Long time until August......
Bear
January 26, 2026 at 07:42 pm
Harleycops, In his best season with the Eagles his defense did extremely well against the weak teams but gave up 35 to 42 points against better competition.
He hasn’t done well against very good teams on a consistent basis.
Heyward
January 26, 2026 at 03:32 pm
Do all of these writers need to take an oath to bootlick every single thing the Packers do?
HarryHodag
January 26, 2026 at 05:01 pm
Lets see....training camp starts a little less than six months from now. I guess all we can do until some real NFL-Green Bay action begins is read endless posts about how lousy the Packers are, all from people who allegedly follow the Packers. Heavy sigh.
To make this all a bit more bearable, is it possible to assume a position of 'lets wait and see' for six months?
I know little about Gannon other than his time in Arizona didn't work well. But one thing to note is the Bidwell family--owners of the Cardinals--are notorious for being cheap. It also centers on a core belief I have that the teams that win have the best personnel evaluators. Arizona clearly does not. A former Packers personnel person, Elliot Wolf, now leads that department in New England, as an example. . It takes top talent coupled with visionary coaching. We can all argue visionary coaching concerning Green Bay, but really, do any of us know what it takes? We're just a bunch of blowhards with keyboards.
Like Hafley, Gannon will be under the microscope. I hope he does better than Hafley. I'm one of the few who thought he really didn't have a clue after Micah Parsons went down. How about 40 points to the Cowboys? I'm far more concerned with the Packers getting better talent with a tight salary cap than I am with Gannon as d-coordinator.
This is a bit rambling, but my call is lets relax, scout the draft and move forward without deep cynicism until the Packers take the field again this summer and proper evaluations can occur.
LeotisHarris
January 26, 2026 at 06:08 pm
Will next season be a reload, a reconvene or relapse? Will a WR #1 emerge before February 3rd? Did you know Murphy *knew* TT had a head full of oatmeal and still let him draft Kevin King over TJ Watt?
Rodgers *never* had a championship defense after 2010. Vince making Hog Hanner (I think it was mean that they called him "Hog") play so soon after his appendectomy was stupid. The Packers should have never renovated Lambeau Field. There was plenty of wear left in the old stadium. There are some tough decisions coming up.
Insiders are saying Ed Policy trims his toenails under his desk in his office. Gute is stupid and so is LaFlunky. The are all in cahoots and just laugh and laugh at the fans. They don't care about winning.
All the writers here are homers and bootlickers.
I see the reality of everything. The rest of you don't.
What did I miss?
Starrbrite
January 26, 2026 at 08:27 pm
“Oatmeal” —got me again Leotis—gracias!
TKWorldWide
January 27, 2026 at 07:11 pm
Shirley this is some of your best work! 😂😂
mdswhankhan420
January 29, 2026 at 11:44 am
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