Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon fielded questions about being on the proverbial “hot seat,” as far as his job status, and the future of his coaching staff.
The Cardinals are 3-7 with seven losses in their last eight games, sitting in last place in the NFC West with the 6-4 Jacksonville Jaguars coming to State Farm Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 23. They lost 41-22 to the San Francisco 49ers in their most recent game.
“Not controllable for me,” Gannon said on Monday, Nov. 17, when asked how he is affected by “hot seat” rumors. “I didn’t hire myself, I’m not going to fire myself. So seriously, I know it comes up. That’s the business we’re in. If you don’t want to be in that business, we laugh, we joke, go work somewhere else. I’m going to control the controllables for myself. Come to work and do the best job that I can and try to get our team in a position to win a game.”
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon speaks at a news conference after an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Glendale, Ariz., Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025.
Gannon said his players are disappointed, but they continue to come to work.
“They want to be part of the solution, as well,” he said. “They come up and tell me that, and that’s a good thing.
“I’d be lying to say it’s cheerful in there (the locker room) right now.”
Gannon was later asked what his message to fans is during trying times for the Cardinals.
“Stick with us,” he said. “We’ll get it turned around.”
The final question Gannon took was about why he remains confident in his coaching staff.
“We’ll get it done,” Gannon said.
Penalties a problem
Gannon spoke at length about the franchise-record 17 penalties the Cardinals incurred against the 49ers, for 130 yards. He said 50 of those yards came from “non-negotiables” in which “the refs don’t have to do anything, it’s completely on us.”
“I don’t love where we’re at right now, I think we’re in the middle third somewhere of most penalized (teams),” Gannon said. “It’s not good football. Our guys do a good job of understanding the rules, making correct decisions, but everybody makes mistakes.
“When we have that many mistakes as it relates to that part of the game, it puts you behind the eight-ball.”
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, left, reacts toward referee Carl Cheffers during the second half of an NFL football game between the Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers in Glendale, Ariz., Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against tight end Trey McBride after a 28-yard catch in the second quarter seemed harsh when looking at how McBride appeared to gesture for a first down after the catch. But Gannon had no issues with why the taunting penalty was called after McBride wiped his nose during the gesture, a move previously made illegal by the NFL.
“Crystal clear,” he said.
Ojulari happy to return to the football field
Cardinals linebacker BJ Ojulari played in his first NFL game since his rookie season in 2023, missing the entire 2024 season with a torn ACL suffered in training camp that year.
Ojulari played 23 defensive snaps and 13 on special teams, sacking 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy on a two-point conversion try in the fourth quarter.
“It felt good,” Ojulari said. “That’s all I needed. I just needed to know I can do it, and if you can do it once, you can do it again.”
Ojulari admitted to being a little sore, but said it wasn’t too bad.
