Just hours after the Philadelphia Eagles lost their offensive coordinator, the team is now set to lose their defensive coordinator. Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon and the Arizona Cardinals are finalizing a deal to make him the team’s next head coach, per Adam Schefter.
Gannon, 40, spent the past two seasons as the Eagles defensive coordinator. Like Steichen — who was hired by the Colts earlier this morning — Gannon came to Philadelphia under Nick Sirianni. Before his time with the Eagles, Gannon spent three seasons in Indianapolis as the defensive backs coach.
This move comes after a stellar postseason, excluding the Eagles’ defensive woes in the Super Bowl. Before allowing 38 points to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl — with 24 coming in the second half — Gannon’s defense allowed just 14 points combined to the Giants and 49ers.
The two other finalists for the job were Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
Moreover, Gannon’s hiring by the Cardinals fills the final head coaching vacancy in the NFL.
The Eagles defense, under Gannon’s supervision, led the league in sacks with a total of 70. Furthermore, the defensive unit allowed just 179.6 passing yards per game, which was a league best.
Gannon is now set to take the place of Kliff Kingsbury, who was fired back in January after amassing a 4-13 record. Correspondingly, Kingsbury and the Cardinals agreed to a contract extension back in March of 2022. The extension agreed upon had Kingsbury staying in Arizona through the 2027 season.
Nevertheless, Gannon now must deal with the bumpy offseason ahead for the Cards, who are set to have 31 players hit free agency, including top cornerback Byron Murphy. Although, Gannon and the Cards sit close to the top of the draft with the No. 3 selection, in which they could have their pick of top defensive prospects Will Anderson Jr. and Jalen Carter. Nevertheless, it will be interesting how the Cards handle this upcoming offseason.
Likewise, the Eagles are also expected to be affected by free agency, with 19 players set to hit the market.
As for the Eagles, expect them to look into some internal options. One name to keep an eye on is Dennard Wilson, who currently serves as the defensive backs coach.
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