The NFL is a brutal business, and the Arizona Cardinals offered everyone a reminder of that on Monday with their firing of head coach Jonathan Gannon.
The Cardinals fired Gannon on Monday, according to multiple reports. The team made the decision after losing nine straight games to end the season.
The move came just one day after Gannon celebrated his 43rd birthday. The team had even shared a happy birthday post for the head coach one day before firing him, which quickly went viral after the news came out.
Happy Birthday, JG! pic.twitter.com/8F7w5n3DrX
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) January 4, 2026
Gannon was certainly on the hot seat, but he was not seen as a sure bet to be fired. In fact, as recently as last week, reports suggested he was more likely to keep his job than not. Whether he was blindsided or not, it certainly adds a cruel edge to the team’s decision.
Arizona now has a head coach hire to make, and they will also have to decide on quarterback Kyler Murray’s future. Conventional wisdom suggests he has played his last game with the Cardinals, but much may depend on the team’s head coach hire.
