January 31, 2023
Kate Frese/For PhillyVoice
It would actually make more sense if Jonathan Gannon were talking to the Cardinals while the Eagles were on defense during the Super Bowl.
Jonathan Gannon has been a name on the rise when it comes to future head coaching candidates, but in the aftermath of the Eagles winning the NFC Championship on Sunday, he said that he won't be leaving Philadelphia just yet.
"Philly's keeping me," Gannon told FOX 29 postgame after the Eagles put away the 49ers, 31-7, to go to the Super Bowl. "Good, bad, or indifferent, I'm staying here."
And a couple of moves that broke Tuesday afternoon reinforced that Philly's defensive coordinator isn't going anywhere.
DeMeco Ryans, the former Eagle turned superstar defensive coordinator with San Francisco, got the head coaching job with the Houston Texans, and the Denver Broncos reached a deal with the Saints to free up Sean Payton and hire him as their next head coach.
Jonathan Gannon to @BrelandFOX29 after the game.
— David Grzybowski (@DavidGrzyTV) January 29, 2023
“Philly is keeping me. Good bad or indifferent I’m staying here.” pic.twitter.com/TCaK5bQIGy
Gannon, who despite some common criticisms, oversaw one of the NFL's most well-rounded and dominant defenses this season – one that completely shut down the Giants and then the Niners in the playoffs – was reported to be a strong candidate in the Texans' coaching search.
Houston requested him for an interview during the Eagles' first-round bye and though he never interviewed with either, Denver and Arizona also had interest, per the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Of course, that's null and void now that the Texans are going with Ryans and the Broncos with Payton. The Cardinals still have an opening, and the Eagles will be heading down to Arizona soon for the Super Bowl, but their search appears headed elsewhere.
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane reported on Friday that both Gannon and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen were likely to be back with the Eagles in 2023, though Steichen isn't a certainty just yet as ESPN's Adam Schefter broke that the Colts were planning a second interview with him just ahead of Sunday's NFC title game.
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