Packers Pick Jonathan Gannon To Lead Their Defense

Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon will be the new defensive coordinator in Green Bay.

Moments after the Green Bay defeated Arizona in October, Packers’ boss Matt Lafleur said: “Gannon, I think, does a hell of a job.”

LaFleur was referring to then-Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Now, LaFleur will find out first hand.

The 43-year-old Gannon, who was fired after three dreadful years in Arizona, was hired by LaFleur Sunday to become the Packers’ next defensive coordinator.

Jeff Hafley, Green Bay’s defensive coordinator in 2024-’25, was named Miami’s head coach last week.

Gannon went just 15-36 as Arizona’s head coach, including a 3-14 season in 2025. The Cardinals went 4-13 during Gannon’s first season and 8-9 in 2024.

Arizona began the 2025 campaign 2-0, then lost 13 of its final 14 games, including nine straight to end the year.

Gannon was also fined $100,000 by the Cardinals after a heated sideline altercation with running back Emari Demercado. Gannon yelled at Demercado and appeared to hit him after the running back was headed for a game-clinching touchdown against Tennessee, but dropped the ball just short of the goal line to begin celebrating.

Gannon was Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator in 2021-’22 and helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl in his final season. During Gannon’s final year in Philadelphia, the Eagles’ ranked No. 2 in total defense, eighth in points allowed and first in passing yards allowed.

Gannon, who oversaw the defense in Arizona, employed a 4-3 scheme with the Eagles. That means the Packers — who also run a 4-3 — won’t have to change their base defense.

The Packers also interviewed the following candidates for the job:

• Christian Parker, who was the Eagles’ defensive passing-game coordinator the last two years before he was hired as the new defensive coordinator in Dallas on Jan. 22. Parker was also a defensive quality control coach in Green Bay in 2019-2020.

• Daronte Jones, who has been Minnesota’s defensive passing-game coordinator since 2023.

• Al Harris, who is Chicago’s defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator. Harris also spent five seasons in Dallas (2020-’24) with former Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy.

Gannon becomes Green Bay’s fourth defensive coordinator in LaFleur’s eight seasons, joining Mike Pettine (2019-2020), Joe Barry (2021-’23) and Hafley.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robreischel/2026/01/25/packers-pick-jonathan-gannon-to-lead-their-defense/