With the end of the 2025 season on the horizon, coaches in peril are forced to defend their performance to keep their gig for another season.
Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, whose club fell to 3-13 with a 37-14 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday, heads into Week 18 confident he'll remain in charge in 2026.
"I feel good," Gannon responded when asked about his job status, via ESPN.
During Arizona's late-season skid, the Cardinals have seemed poised to allow Gannon a fourth campaign. NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported earlier this month that there was a sense that the Cards would stick with Gannon.
However, the losses have mounted, with Arizona losing 13 of its past 14 games after a 2-0 start. Worse for Gannon is that the early-season close defeats have turned into embarrassments. Three of their past four losses have come by 20-plus points. During their eight-game losing streak, the Cardinals have been outscored 280-155. If another laugher ensues in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams, could owner Michael Bidwill decide it's time for a change?
"I kind of do the same process as I've done the last two years: I try to take detailed notes, try to have a pulse of what's going on, but you can't let that ... I do have to think about the future a little bit, obviously the seat that I'm in, but my focus is really on L.A. and that there'll be a time to look at all of that and have those conversations and make changes," Gannon said. "No one's happy. I'm not happy. Players aren't happy. Through adversity, you've got to change. So, I got to change, and we got to change some things, but we'll get to that."
Gannon hopes his job status isn't one of those things to change.
There are a lot of moving parts in Arizona's struggles, from quarterback questions to an injury-riddled defense. We've seen late-season disasters lead to offseason changes in the past. Gannon, who has a 15-35 record, is trying to avoid becoming the latest.
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