Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon Holds Steady Despite Speculation

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon isn’t concerned about proving himself to team owner Michael Bidwill, even after the Cardinals’ fourth blowout loss in the past six games.

Arizona just endured another beatdown — this time a 40-20 affair at the hands of the Houston Texans. The commentary about coaching changes, job statuses and all that comes with those topics has pervaded social media streets for weeks. It’s nothing new at this point, but it is reaching a fever pitch, as the team sits at a dismal 3-11.

But when those questions began to (naturally) fly at Gannon on Monday’s press conference, the stoic head coach did not waiver.

Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon Addresses Future

“There’s no pitch,” he said firmly, when asked how he might try and defend his right to another season in front of Bidwill. He said he blocks out the noise of any uncertainty by focusing on the job — a week 15 matchup with the 5-9 Atlanta Falcons.

He also said he’s not worried about how the injuries on offense might skew evaluations of the job he’s done this season.

“Honestly, I don’t think at all about that. I control the controllables,” he said.

Gannon said he and Bidwill speak “every day” about his future. The discussions? “What are we going to do to get this team rolling?” the head coach said succinctly.

But clearly, something is not working, and to a severe degree. Both the controllable and the uncontrollable factors have gone about as far against Arizona as could have been imagined. Gannon did take on a more reflective, open tone about those factors.

“We talked about it today, nobody is pleased. I am not happy, they are not happy,” Gannon said. “At this point in the year where we’re at, it’s tough. There’s definitely some adversity, a lot of adversity. We’ve had some tough games, some games we haven’t really been in… in the second half.”

Gannon even went to identify — in blunt specifics — two areas in which he feels the Cardinals (and, by default, he himself) have fallen short.

“Health and [player] development are two of the biggest things to me. And there’s a lot of different factors that go into that, and I’m responsible for all of them,” he said.

“What do we have to look at with a critical eye and change.”

Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon understands he needs to make adjustments after this tough season and will focus on improving the “health and development” of players @PHNX_Cardinals pic.twitter.com/rSoSYZtT3v

— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) December 15, 2025

“I’m concentrating on Atlanta, but I do have to have a little bit of foresight. With, as I’m taking notes how this year’s gone, what do we have to take a look at with a critical eye and change? Because if we keep doing the same thing, you keep getting the same result, that’s not good by anybody in my seat.”

These words aren’t going to placate justly frustrated Cardinals fans. They shouldn’t either. But within Gannon’s steadfast, stoic belief there remains a positive outlook. It’s difficult — perhaps impossible — to ask fans to buy into any of that positivity, but Arizona’s head coach doesn’t need the approval of fans on social media, as unsatisfying as that reality may be.

The fact is, almost nothing Gannon says will matter to those who are already out on him. And he may or may not be capable of taking this team further than he did in 2024’s hope-inspiring 8-9 campaign.

It’s still extremely difficult — even infuriating — to hear similar platitudes week after week. Clearly, Gannon knows that what he and his staff are doing is not working, but the lack of specific, communicated changes understandably offers cause for frustration.

With how buttoned-up Gannon and the Cardinals’ staff often is, one cannot say for certain that tough conversations haven’t taken place. It hardly matters if they have or not, given the on-field results. But something is very clear from Gannon’s words Monday afternoon — he’s not coaching for his job, whether he might need to or not.

The Cardinals are not going to make changes for the sake of change. Maybe they should, but they aren’t, they haven’t and they won’t. There’s no telling what the future of this organization might hold, but there is one thing that is absolutely constant: Gannon’s belief in his players, coaches and process has not ben shattered.

“The silver lining of adversity is you grow,” Gannon said. “I believe in myself and I believe in our team. And 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.”

But as that dip reaches its sixth straight loss (and a 1-11 record since week two) it does feel as if time is running out to make any sort of necessary changes, at least, from an external point of view.