Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was the subject of much ire during the first half of this season as the Birds' defense was absolutely shredded by opposing quarterbacks.
And yet here we stand on Dec. 27, with the Eagles in playoff position, and all of a sudden Gannon is reportedly being eyed as a possible one-and-done DC who could get a shot at a head coaching job after the year's over.
That's quite the come-up.
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The buzz around Gannon's potential candidacy comes via NFL Network's Peter Schrager, who reported Monday morning on Good Morning Football that Gannon is among the lesser-known coordinators around the league who he expects to get head coach interviews during the upcoming offseason.
Here's what Schrager had to say:
"SCHRAGER: Give me a fresh face that people might not know, that you think is going to get some interviews this offseason.
NFL
"[...]
"I'm gonna go with Jonathan Gannon. He's the defensive coordinator in Philadelphia this year. It might not be a familiar name, but he has been around the league for quite some time, was in Minnesota as a DBs coach, then went to Indianapolis where everyone wanted his services this year, when they were coming into head coaching jobs. I know that he was potentially in talks to leave to go with Arthur Smith, wherever he went, and eventually he goes with Sirianni, who he was with in Indy. Gannon is a young face, a defensive coach - you don't see that a lot - but a guy that everyone swears by, and someone that I think is going to get some head coaching interviews."
Absolutely wild.
Now, getting interviews and actually getting a head coaching job are two very different things. Teams often like to cast wide nets, sometimes just to gather information on people around the league and hear different ideas from different football minds.
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But Gannon getting this kind of publicity after 15 games in Philly is quite a development.
And while the jury should probably still be out on his effectiveness this season as a defensive coordinator, considering the gulf between the Eagles' play vs. good offenses compared to their play vs. bad ones, you can't argue with the results.
This stat in particular will probably blow the minds of some who were fully out on Gannon earlier this season:
Their opponents since Week 8 have been pretty underwhelming, but you can only play your schedule. And while dealing with the season-long loss of Brandon Graham, and the loss of Davion Taylor mid-season, Gannon has his guys playing fairly legit football.
He has also always seemed like a players' coach, dating all the way back to his incredible handshake with Anthony Harris in March, something that organizations are looking for more and more as a players-first approach has caught on around the league.
So yeah, you can probably expect Gannon to get an interview or two. Will he actually leave? The Eagles seem to be an ascendant team, with draft picks in tow that could help beef up his defense... but a head coaching job is a head coaching job. If he gets an offer, he's probably gone. If he stays, he's got plenty to build on.