Jonathan Gannon never got on a plane back to Philadelphia after the Super Bowl LVII loss, remaining in the Glendale area to interview for the Cardinals head coaching job.
Gannon had initially said that he would remain the Eagles’ defensive coordinator despite interviewing for the Texans’ head coaching positions before Houston hired DeMeco Ryans.
Head coach Nick Sirianni initially said he was prepared to lose both coordinators, but now according to Albert Breer of The Monday Morning Quarterback, the Eagles have been making a full-court press to retain their defensive coordinator.
In replacing (Shane) Steichen, Nick Sirianni should have some answers. He could try and get (Brian) Johnson to turn down other opportunities and stay as coordinator, or turn to (Kevin) Patullo, and the fact that Sirianni himself is an old offensive coordinator helps backstop the whole thing. Having to replace Gannon would be more difficult, with the timing of his candidacy in Arizona an issue. Two guys who I think would’ve been high on the Eagles’ DC list, Vic Fangio and Jerod Mayo, have already agreed to deals elsewhere.
I have heard, for what it’s worth, that the Eagles have made an effort to keep Gannon in the fold, with the Arizona interest having been rumored for a while.
In his first season as defensive coordinator, Gannon’s Eagles’ defense surrendered 5.2 yards per play, tied for the seventh-fewest in the league. The Eagles were tied with the Bears and Panthers for the fifth-fewest takeaways in the NFL with 16.
This season, Gannon’s defense was among the top units in the NFL, finishing No. 2 overall in total defense, No. 1 against the pass, and 8th in the NFL in points allowed but fell apart in the second half of the Super Bowl loss.
He’ll spend the next few days getting shredded by fans and local media after his defense failed to adjust to Andy Reid’s motion offense, allowing two touchdowns on breakdowns in the secondary.
