The Arizona Cardinals are moving in a new direction at head coach after firing Jonathan Gannon, and quarterback Kyler Murray recently tweeted about the latest developments. Gannon spent three years trying to rebuild the team after Kliff Kingsbury’s run with the franchise, but his efforts fell well short.
What did Murray have to say about the head coach’s firing?
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray Has Nothing But ‘Love’ for Jonathan Gannon
The Cardinals fired Gannon on Monday, following a 3-14 campaign that was marred by numerous injuries, including Murray. The team faced early setbacks, which put it on the back foot in the NFC West, the most competitive division in the NFL this season, featuring three teams with 12 or more wins.
While Arizona’s top brass has seen enough of Gannon, the team’s franchise quarterback has no bad feelings toward his former head coach. “My guy, genuinely loved going to war with you,” Murray posted on Monday. “Appreciate who you are as a man and a coach. Warpath.”
Gannon spent his three years in the desert trying to rebuild the team with Murray at quarterback, and the shot-caller’s tribute reflects the deep relationship they’ve developed.
Their rapport, unfortunately, never translated to significant success on the field. Following a 4-13 first year, they improved to 8-9 in 2024; however, 2025 was another misfire at 3-14. Murray’s season-ending injury early in the campaign spelled danger for the Cardinals’ playoff hopes as well as Gannon’s job security.
Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett took over with little success, which was only worsened by the onslaught of their division rivals. Arizona couldn’t beat any of its NFC West rivals across six games this season.
Looking ahead, the Cardinals will start with a clean slate, a new head coach, and the draft to look forward to.
Terrance Biggs of PFSN highlighted five potential replacements for Gannon:
- Joe Brady – Offensive Coordinator, Buffalo Bills
- Mike McCarthy – Former Head Coach, Dallas Cowboys
- Brad Idzik – Offensive Coordinator, Carolina Panthers
- Jemal Singleton – Associate Head Coach, Philadelphia Eagles
- Jeff Ulbrich – Defensive Coordinator, Atlanta Falcons
The Cardinals will also take to the offseason holding the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Going for a quarterback with Murray still on board at this point seems unlikely, so Arizona could shore up on other offensive positions or defense.
Highly-ranked offensive lineman Francis Mauigao out of Miami stands as a solid potential selection for the team. It’ll be interesting to see how the offseason pans out as Arizona works on establishing a new direction in the desert.
