The Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts look poised to move toward filling their vacant head coaching jobs, post Super Bowl.
Multiple reports Sunday said the Cardinals are expected to interview Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, 40, as early as Monday. Gannon, whose Eagles are playing in Super Bowl LVII, is the architect of an impressive defense that in 2022 registered a league-high 70 sacks and held opponents to 20.2 points per game.
ESPN said the other candidates still vying for the job are New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
Gannon’s NFL coaching career began in 2007 with the Atlanta Falcons when he served as defensive quality control coach, and he’s also worked with the Minnesota Vikings and was the defensive backs coach of the Colts before being hired in Philadelphia in 2021.
As for the Colts, ESPN reported Sunday that the Eagles’ other coordinator — offensive guru Shane Steichen — is expected to be named as the replacement for Frank Reich and interim coach Jeff Saturday.
Per the report, the Colts notified the other candidates Sunday morning that they had chosen to go in another direction. The final candidates were Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Green Bay Packers special teams coach Rich Bisaccia and Saturday, NFL Network reported.
Saturday was 1-7 as the Colts’ interim coach.
The Eagles’ offense ranked first in the league in rushing touchdowns, and the team’s 477 points scored ranked second only to the Kansas City Chiefs — their Super Bowl opponent.
Steichen, 37, joined the Eagles in 2021. He previously held a variety of coaching roles with the Los Angeles Chargers and was offensive coordinator for one season (2020).
These two openings are the final head coach jobs to be filled this offseason. The Carolina Panthers hired Reich, the Denver Broncos tabbed Sean Payton and the Houston Texans landed DeMeco Ryans.
–Field Level Media