Can new Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon get the most out of Kyler Murray?

By Eric Williams
Published

The Arizona Cardinals officially announced Jonathan Gannon as the team's fourth head-coaching hire in the past decade on Tuesday, two days after Gannon and the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. 

The Cardinals fired Kliff Kingsbury at the end of last season after the team finished 4-13 overall, tied for the most losses in a single season in franchise history. 

"I am super excited about the opportunity," Gannon said in a prepared statement. "I look forward to getting my hands on the players and putting a winning product on the field." 

Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell sought an aligned general manager/coach combination that can reestablish a sustainable, winning culture in Arizona. He hired former Tennessee Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort as his new GM last month, replacing Steve Keim.

Ossenfort then helped lead a coaching search that included more than a dozen candidates, settling on a finalists list that included Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers coach Brian Flores.

Flores dropped his name from consideration, taking the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator position. 

Then, the process slowed down for the Cardinals, as they apparently had their eyes set on Gannon. Ossenfort reportedly identified him as a potential head coach a year ago, building a relationship with Gannon in case Ossenfort got hired as a GM. 

"Jonathan came in here with a lot of energy, helped his team to a very successful season and came in here as a natural leader," Ossenfort said on the team's website. "It was a natural fit between myself and Michael … and we all share a joint vision of what the Arizona Cardinals are going to be moving forward." 

The 40-year-old Gannon served as the defensive coordinator for Philadelphia for the past two seasons. The Eagles topped the league in sacks with 70 during the regular season and another eight in the postseason. 

Philadelphia held opposing offenses to 20.2 points a contest, No. 7 in the NFL. So Gannon can coach defense. He reportedly has a commanding presence in the locker room, which certainly helps an organization trying to implement a culture change based on leadership and accountability demanded from players. 

"He brings a lot of youth, energy and intelligence, and he's just a great character all around," Eagles defensive end Haason Reddick said about Gannon during Super Bowl week. "Getting to know Gannon this year, I told him I appreciate him. I love him because he lets his players be who they are at the end of the day. If he decides to leave, whoever's getting him I think they have a great head coach and someone the players will really take to." 

However, the Cardinals must find out if Gannon can create an efficient and dynamic offense that focuses on getting explosive playmaker quarterback Kyler Murray back on track. Arizona signed the Oklahoma product to a five-year, $230.5 million extension last offseason. And he promptly had his worst season as a pro, finishing with career lows in passing yards (2,368), touchdowns (14) and passer rating (87.2) before suffering a season-ending ACL tear to his right knee in a Week 13 contest at home against the New England Patriots.

Murray had surgery to repair the tear last month and is not expected to be ready to play at the start of the regular season in September. 

Gannon, who signed a five-year deal with the Cardinals, needs to figure out who will serve as the all-important daily and game-day voice to Murray as the team's offensive coordinator. That will be one of the most important decisions for the Cardinals as they chase the San Francisco 49ers for the top spot in the NFC West. 

"We've been looking at Jonathan for a while," Bidwell told the team's website. "I know Jonathan and Monti had spoken last year, and Monti was pretty fired up about him. I got a chance to watch some videos about Jonathan and got a feel for his personality. 

"When he came in and put together his vision, his plan, it really seemed like it stood out. We had tremendous candidates, but he stood out in terms of his energy and also what his plan is. Every time he has been in a position to lead, he has excelled." 

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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