Cardinals Coach Jonathan Gannon Takes High Road But Gets Last Laugh vs. Eagles

Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Johnathan Gannon was complimentary after beating his old team, and his insider knowledge may have helped him do that.

PHILADELPHIA – He could have gloated and flexed for the camera like his former boss Nick Sirianni likes to do in good times. These are anything but good times for the Philadelphia Eagles and their head coach, and Jonathan Gannon did none of the above.

The former Eagles defensive coordinator didn’t stick Philly's noses in it after his three-win Arizona Cardinals sent the Eagles spiraling even further, probably as far as from the No. 2 seed to the No. 5 seed in playoffs following their 35-31 win on New Year’s Eve at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.

Nick Sirianni :: Ed Kracz/SI Eagles Today

Gannon took the high road, something he maybe didn’t do when he was hired shortly after the Eagles lost last year’s Super Bowl when he claimed he was the impetus behind Sirianni handing off play-calling duties to his then-offensive coordinator Shane Steichen.

“I feel good for the players, not for me, man,” he said. “I feel good for the players.”

Prior to kickoff, Jonathan Gannon walked here and there on the grass field hugging just about everyone, right from the top on down, from owner Jeffrey Lurie to general manager Howie Roseman, to Sirianni. He hugged cornerback Darius Slay and various players.

There is still plenty of respect for Gannon, even though fans wanted to run him out of town most of last season despite being the impetus in the defense finishing as the second-best in the NFL and the top team in stopping the pass.

“This place was awesome for me,” said Gannon. “Working for Nick and the Philadelphia Eagles, you guys know I loved it here. That’s the reason I'm sitting at the podium right now is a huge reason that organization and (Lurie) and Howie and Nick and it was great to see them but you know, I told them they'll have their run, you know, I mean, and I'm always pulling for him, but not (Sunday). 

"Obviously. Like he told me. But yeah, I love (them).”

Watching this Eagles defense now, albeit it is so much different than last year’s Super Bowl version, makes you wonder what Gannon would have done with it.

His knowledge of the Eagles probably played a hand in the win.

Both Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts were asked about that after the loss that put a once 10-1 team at 11-5.

“Absolutely," was Hurts' response when asked about that insider knowledge. “He sat there in those meetings with us. He's been in those meetings. He's heard kind of what we're thinking in certain situations, and we practiced against them every day for the last two years.

“So, you know, they played a great game. They showed great effort. And they made plays when they needed to make them.”

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Added Sirianni: “I think he probably thought about the Washington game last year where Washington was able to control the clock and keep our offense off the field. He probably thought about that. You'll have to ask him. I don't know. But good game plan by them and they obviously executed and hats off to them.”

The Cardinals had the ball for 39 minutes and 39 seconds. In last year’s loss to Washington that Sirianni referenced, the Commanders had the ball for 40:24.

Despite winning just three games, Gannon seems to have his new players’ support, enough so, anyway, that they knew how much this game meant to him.

“I mean, in a sense, yes, it’s just another game, but not just another game, you know?” said quarterback Kyler Murray. “I know he wanted to win it really badly. Just, you know, not alma mater, but his previous team. I would want to win it, so I know the guys felt that energy from him, that we wanted to come out here and do it for him.”

Gannon never admitted to any of that, even though he got the last laugh.