Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has an infectious, high-octane personality that a young team needs in 2023. The incredible amount of energy he displayed when he first won the head coaching job as a dark horse candidate has yet to recede, and don’t expect it to happen.
On the surface, Gannon couldn’t be any different from NFL coaching legend Bill Belichick. Belichick has won six Super Bowls and Gannon won’t coach his first NFL game until September 10th.
And let’s hope, for the sake of the Cardinals franchise, that Gannon’s first run as a head coach is better than Belichick’s. The current New England Patriots head coach got his start with the Cleveland Browns between 1991 and 1995, and it didn’t end well for the future Hall of Famer.
Yeah, classic Browns luck, right? Unfortunately, the Cardinals haven’t fared much better since the two teams sat atop the football world in 1947 (the Browns won the AAFC title that year). But Gannon is beyond mum when it comes to naming starters for Week 1, and in a way, it’s reminiscent of Bill Belichick.
Arizona Cardinals head coach takes a page out of Bill Belichick’s book
This isn’t to claim Gannon is the next Bill Belichick (no one is), but we can all agree it doesn’t hurt to follow his blueprint. Gannon is the furthest thing from Belichick when talking to the media, as the latter is rather introverted, straightforward, and vaguer than vague.
Ask the extroverted Gannon who’s starting at running back, however, and he will likely circumvent the question, even if we all at least think it’s James Conner. And one look at the Cardinals depth chart gives/gave us nothing, as there are/were players listed all over it as starters who you otherwise wouldn’t think would be starting - Colt McCoy, Zach Ertz, Zach Pascal, Leki Fotu, Dennis Gardeck, and Antonio Hamilton.
None of the above should be (or will be) factoring into the team’s long-term plans, and in what could be a lost season, so why not play the kids? And no, that’s not a typo - after watching Colt McCoy play this preseason, does it really surprise you the Cards let him walk? But even after cutting McCoy don’t expect Gannon to name the Week 1 starter, or I’d be surprised if he did.
While some may find this unfortunate, I for one find it reassuring. The Arizona Cardinals have a coach that loves to talk, except when it comes to specific topics - and that aura of mystery will leave opponents guessing, especially early in the season.