Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon was fired following a dismal third season that started with high expectations but quickly collapsed thanks to injuries, embarrassing gaffes and a long string of losses that became increasingly noncompetitive.
The Cardinals made the announcement on Monday. General manager Monti Ossenfort will be retained.
The final indignity came Sunday, when the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cardinals 37-20 after scoring the final 21 points. It was the team’s ninth straight loss and 14th setback in 15 games.
Now a new coaching staff will get the chance to rebuild a franchise that will have the No. 3 overall pick in April, but has been to the playoffs just once since 2016.
The 43-year-old Gannon finished his tenure with a 15-36 record, including 3-14 this season. His firing was not necessarily surprising, but the speed of his downfall was still jarring.
The Cardinals had an 8-9 record last year in Gannon’s second season and the franchise appeared on the upswing. Two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray was in his prime, and Ossenfort spent much of the offseason upgrading the defense, adding veteran pieces like Josh Sweat, Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell.
But nothing has gone as planned.
Arizona actually won its first two games of the season, though that would prove to be the high point. The Cardinals lost the next five games by a combined 13 points, including three straight on last-second field goals.
During that stretch, injuries started piling up. Murray hurt his foot in a Week 5 loss to the Titans and hasn’t played since, calling into question whether he’ll be the team’s quarterback in 2026 despite a $230.5 million, five-year contract that could run through 2028.
Starting running back James Conner has missed most of the season with a foot injury while receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. — who was the No. 4 overall pick in 2024 — struggled with injuries and inconsistency.
There were also some embarrassing moments that added to the tension. Running back Emari Demercado dropped the football just short of a touchdown while celebrating too early against the Titans, which started a stunning collapse that saw a 21-9 lead turn into a 22-21 defeat.
Gannon was caught on camera angrily confronting Demercado, appearing to bump the running back as he swiped his arm downward. The Cardinals fined the coach $100,000 for his actions.
Arizona was also called for a franchise-record 17 penalties in a 41-22 loss to the 49ers in Week 11. The Cardinals were 0-6 against NFC West opponents this season, losing the last four by a combined 88 points.
Gannon was hired in 2023 after two seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, who reached the Super Bowl during his final year before losing to the Chiefs.
Cardinals finish 2025-26 season with most losses in franchise history
To prepare for the playoffs, the Los Angeles Rams dressed their starters for a fairly meaningless regular-season finale against an opponent that hadn't won in two months.
The Rams didn't look ready for this modest test, let alone the postseason, when Sean McVay's players found themselves trailing the Arizona Cardinals late in the third quarter Sunday.
That's when the Rams made a dynamic late surge with three straight touchdown drives to win 37-20 and avoid any embarrassment.
Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett passed for 243 yards and hit Michael Wilson with a 43-yard touchdown pass in the second half but still finished coach Jonathan Gannon's third season with nine consecutive losses and 14 of 15.
“We’re gonna keep swinging, man,” Gannon said. “Everybody in there has been through tough times in their careers, and the main thing that I was happy about today was they maximized the last opportunity to play. And they’re not going to be happy watching these (playoff) games, but we did that to ourselves, and it starts with me.”
Gannon dropped to 15-36.
Trey McBride made seven catches to extend his NFL single-season record for a tight end to 126 receptions for the Cardinals, who lost 14 games in a season for the first time in the history of a franchise that started in Chicago in 1920.
Josiah Deguara caught a go-ahead TD pass in the third quarter from Brissett, who started the Cardinals' final 12 games after a foot injury sidelined Kyler Murray. The former No. 1 pick's future is also up in the air in Phoenix.
“Obviously came up a little short, but I’m pretty sure (the Rams) probably came in here and thought they were gonna roll us and get ready for the playoffs," Brissett said. “And no, we gave them a run for their money. Guys came out and battled.”
The Cardinals surged after halftime with two electrifying plays: Emari Demercado caught a 28-yard pass from punter Matt Haack on a fourth down fake from the Arizona 29, immediately followed by Wilson's 43-yard TD catch. Wilson finished with 99 yards receiving to top 1,000 in a season for the first time.
Arizona mounted a steady 76-yard drive moments later, capped by Deguara's first TD catch since 2021, that sparked grumbling in SoFi Stadium.
But Quarterback Matthew Stafford and the playoff-bound Rams quickly bounced back.
Up next, the Cardinals will determine the futures of Murray and the coaching staff before the draft, when they could make the third overall pick.
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