Getty Image / Chris Coduto
Jonathan Gannon made a pretty big change in his life during this NFL offseason.
Not only did he turn an NFC champion defense into an opportunity to become a head coach in the league, but in doing so he ended up moving across the country.
Now that he is the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, he’ll have to deal with the media, but when he was asked about interacting with the media he revealed that he thinks it will be a whole lot easier than dealing with the media in Philly.
Former #Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon says Philly is a tough market:
“We were 9-0 and they wanted me fired. We were the #1 defense in every category. Why do you want me fired?”pic.twitter.com/FKIKfUoDvB
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) April 21, 2023
“Philadelphia is a very hard media market. We were 9-0 and I did my presser and they wanted me fired. We were the #1 defense in every category. Why do you want me fired? They would say, well you don’t blitz enough. I’d then say that we lead the league in sacks by 30+ sacks so if you want to come call the defense, have at it,” Gannon said.
Unfortunately, it seems his recollection is a bit off. According to Warren Sharp, most of what Gannon said in that quote isn’t accurate and the exchange never actually happened.
1. the Eagles were never 9-0
2. after 9 games, the Eagles were not leading the NFL in sacks
3. they trailed multiple other teams in sacks
4. at no point in the season did they lead the NFL by 30+ sacks or anything close to that margin
5. this presser “exchange” never happened pic.twitter.com/rFcTaB8QSt
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 21, 2023
Despite the inaccuracies, there is no doubt that fans and media in Philadelphia are a whole lot more demanding than they will be in Glendale.
He’s also taking over a roster that is far from ready to make a run to the Super Bowl, so he still may have some tough questions to answer while the Arizona Cardinals through growing pains.