The Arizona Cardinals suffered one of the most brutal losses in recent memory. They had the 0-4 Titans on the ropes with a 21-6 lead and handed the game to them late in the fourth quarter. A pivotal moment was Emari Demercado’s massive run that should have been a touchdown and likely would have sealed the game for Arizona, but he dropped the ball before crossing the goal line. They walked away with no points and ultimately lost by one point.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon lost his mind on Demercado and reacted in a way he shouldn’t have.
Jonathan Gannon Punished For Losing His Cool
The Cardinals fined Gannon $100,000 for reacting to Demercado’s costly mistake. They aren’t planning on punishing him any further for getting in Demercado’s face. They didn’t appreciate how Gannon blasted his player, approached him on the sideline, and even made contact with Demercado. Arizona made sure to punish Gannon for making contact with Demercado.
There was a potential NFLPA investigation to take place, but their spokesperson alerted PFSN that it wouldn’t take place.
Sources: Cardinals are fining HC Jonathan Gannon $100,000 for his sideline altercation with RB Emari Demercado, who dropped the football before crossing the goal line Sunday on what would’ve been a 72-yard touchdown run. There will be no further discipline for Gannon. pic.twitter.com/C1LVstrbdl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2025
The play happened early in the fourth quarter while Arizona held a 21-6 lead. Demercado broke free for what should have been a 72-yard touchdown, but he dropped the football just before crossing the goal line while celebrating. The result was a touchback, giving possession to the Tennessee Titans instead of extending the Cardinals’ lead to 28-6.
Although Gannon didn’t approach it as professionally as he could have, the message got across. Demercado acknowledged his mistake and is ready to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.
Demercado is splitting carries with Michael Carter in Arizona’s backfield after James Conner went down with a season-ending injury. This fumble won’t help his case to get more carries, as he cost his team a win with the mistake. Although it was a great run up until the mistake, it can’t happen, and it could be the difference if they make a playoff push.
The Cardinals have lost three straight games and need to flush their Week 5 loss and focus on bouncing back in Week 6. It’s not getting easier as they have to take on the Indianapolis Colts, who are 4-1 and one of the best teams this season, standing atop the AFC.
Arizona is the 27th-ranked offense on PFSN’s Offense Impact Score with a score of 68.2. They need to improve this if they want to turn their season around. Gannon and the Cardinals have an uphill battle to turn their season around after a hot start, and it’s going to be tough sledding with tough opponents up next.