The Green Bay Packers opted not to move on from head coach Matt LaFleur after a nightmare playoff collapse against the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card Round, but they still had some important decisions to make on the coaching staff. LaFleur and company were forced to pick out a new defensive coordinator after Jeff Hafley left to become the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
On Sunday, Green Bay found an experienced replacement. Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has agreed to be the next defensive play-caller in Green Bay, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Gannon was fired at the end of the 2025 season following a 3-14 season with the Cardinals. He recorded a 15-36 overall record there in three seasons.
After spending a lot of time in the league as an assistant on the defensive side, Gannon made a name for himself as the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles from 2021-22. While there, he led a very good Philadelphia defense that finished the 2022 season second in the NFL in total defense and first in sacks with 70, as the Eagles made a run all the way to the Super Bowl before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Gannon will be working with a significant personnel upgrade on defense from what he had in Arizona, especially when Micah Parsons comes back from a torn ACL at some point early in the season. Green Bay still has some concerns to address in the secondary this offseason, but there is more than enough talent here to work with for Gannon to have a successful first season with the Packers.
Green Bay is still looking to get over the hump in the postseason with this iteration of the roster and the coaching staff. While it felt like the Packers were building up over the last few seasons, 2025 was a season marred by injuries that still ended in immense disappointment after they blew a 21-3 lead against the Bears in the Wild Card Round.
LaFleur and company are hoping that the addition of Gannon is one of the things that helps get them over the top in 2026 and beyond.
