Matt LaFleur pulls back the curtain on why the Packers landed on Jonathan Gannon to be their next defensive coordinator
Jonathan Gannon spent the past three years as the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach.
The Green Bay Packers officially confirmed on Monday that Jonathan Gannon will be their next defensive coordinator, replacing Jeff Hafley. Via a statement, head coach Matt LaFleur was clear about his intentions on the move.
Gannon’s experience as a defensive coordinator and head coach was key, and it’s the big reason why the Packers hired him.
“We are thrilled to add Jonathan Gannon to our coaching staff,” LaFleur explained. “He possesses tremendous experience as an NFL coordinator and head coach. I am confident that he will be an outstanding addition to our organization, as well as a strong leader of our defense. We welcome Jonathan, his wife, Gina, and their three children, Rocco, Lola and Angelo, to the Packers and the Green Bay community.”
Track record
Jonathan Gannon was the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator for two years, in 2021 and 2022. During this period, the Eagles were eighth in EPA/play and 19th in success rate, helping Philly to reach a Super Bowl after the 2022 season.
Over the past three years, Gannon didn’t have as much success with the Arizona Cardinals — even though he wasn’t the defensive play-caller. The Cardinals were 30th in EPA/play and 32nd in success rate between 2023 and 2025.
The Packers are also building their defensive staff with more experience under Gannon. The secondary coach and passing game coordinator is Bobby Babich, who was the Buffalo Bills’ defensive coordinator over the past two seasons. The linebackers coach will be Sam Siefkes, who worked under Gannon on the Arizona Cardinals but spent the 2025 season as a college defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech. For now, former New England Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington remains as the defensive line coach and run game coordinator. The Packers are also hiring former San Francisco 49ers safeties coach Daniel Bullocks, but his role is yet to be known.
Green Bay clearly thinks that the defensive personnel is ready to win now, especially after the trade for Micah Parsons. And with that in mind, it makes sense to build an experienced coaching staff.
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