Is Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon under pressure in 2025? ESPN’s Barnwell thinks so

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon hasn’t found much success since taking over in 2023.

It’s hard to blame Gannon fully with the roster he was given. The front office had been apprehensive to spend big money until this past offseason began.

However, the fact remains that Gannon has no winning seasons or playoff appearances — and if things go south and the team doesn’t click in Year 3, he could be in hot water.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote Thursday morning that Gannon is one of the coaches in the NFL under the most pressure.

Gannon has basically spent two seasons with his hands tied behind his back on his preferred side of the ball. Arizona simply didn’t have the talent on defense to do much in 2023, and while he got creative with all kinds of sim pressures and exotic looks while maximizing Budda Baker a year ago, the Cardinals didn’t have the ability to win reliably with their front four and protect their linebackers and secondary in the coverage.

With all the offseason moves, Barnwell believes that Gannon and the Cardinals can perform better if done right.

With Max Melton flashing at cornerback, the Cardinals have the makings of a promising defense for the first time under Gannon. Now, after going 12-22 — admittedly without Kyler Murray for the first half of 2023 — Gannon has the chance to take a step forward. If he gets things right, he can probably count on a contract extension from an ownership group that has been extremely generous to its coaches in the past. If the defense struggles, though, he could be on the hot seat or out of a job after a third consecutive losing season.

What could help Jonathan Gannon be under less pressure?

One of the valuable pickups that could relieve Gannon of the pressure is edge rusher Josh Sweat.

Sweat was with Gannon during Super Bowl 57 for the Philadelphia Eagles, had an even bigger Super Bowl 59 (2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and three QB hits) and is looking to have the same success in the Valley.

Defense was a main priority in the offseason. Gannon built his resume around a defensive background before arriving in Arizona. This season could make or break his future now that he has an upgraded roster at his disposal.

However, there have already been injuries to the defense during training camp, with front-seven members Walter Nolen, BJ Ojulari and Bilal Nichols beginning the year on the sidelines.

Gannon was asked Wednesday about how he gets momentum heading into a new season.

“I believe in a compounding effect of doing things the right way on a consistent daily basis with energy and enthusiasm to get the result that you want,” Gannon said.

The Cardinals will build themselves up during training camp before their first preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 9.

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