Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon reacts from the sideline during the first quarter against the Houston Texans. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Analyst claims Cowboys hiring Jonathan Gannon would be 'disastrous'

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Jan 17, 2026 4:44 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys have interviewed multiple defensive coordinator candidates virtually and are moving on to in-person interviews. One candidate set to visit The Star is former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.

While Gannon was fired after going 15-36 in three seasons, he's had success as a defensive coordinator. That includes helping the Philadelphia Eagles get to the Super Bowl following the 2022 season.

One analyst doesn't believe the Cowboys should consider Gannon, however. David Howman of Blogging the Boys says bringing in Gannon would be "disastrous" for Dallas. One reason is that he worked under recently fired Matt Eberflus and employs the exact same mantra.

Why Jonathan Gannon is a poor fit for the Cowboys

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Beyond that, he also points to Gannon's primary flaw, a lack of in-game adjustments. During his time in Philadelphia, Gannon's defense was terrible in the fourth quarter because of this, including a terrible second half in the Super Bowl.

"Meanwhile, Gannon’s defense was frequently criticized that year for a lack of in-game adjustments, evidenced by their horrible efficiency metric in end-of-game settings. In half of their regular season games, the Eagles were outscored in the fourth quarter, including all three of their losses," Howman wrote.

"They also held a 24-14 halftime lead over the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, and Kansas City scored 24 second-half points, including 17 in the fourth quarter alone, to come back and win. That featured two different scoring plays for the Chiefs, both using the same concept, and both springing the wide receiver wide open in the endzone. Gannon never adjusted."

Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the Cowboys were intent on casting a wide net and Jerry Jones vowed to treat this search different than previous searches. So far, those statements have been true, but that won't matter if they end up with someone who sounds like a carbon copy of Eberflus.

That being the case, it might be best to continue looking at one of the rising coaches who aren't coming off a failed head coaching stint.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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