TEMPE — The Arizona Cardinals went from an upward trajectory heading into Year 3 under head coach Jonathan Gannon and the rest of the current regime to a downright tailspin midway through 2025.
After a five-game losing streak early on — all coming by one score — Arizona has dropped back-to-back divisional games in embarrassing fashion and are nowhere near the playoff picture.
Given the steep downturn on display, the term “hot seat” has been much more prevalently than originally expected heading into a season filled with expectations.
Gannon, however, remains focused on a turnaround and not on the outside chatter.
“I didn’t hire myself. I’m not going to fire myself.”
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon when the topic of potentially being on the hot seat came up ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/wIdEjHrCEb
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) November 17, 2025
“Not a controllable for me. I didn’t hire myself. I’m not going to fire myself,” Gannon said Monday. “I know it comes up. That’s the business we’re in. If you don’t want to be in that business — we laugh, we joke — go work somewhere else.
“I’m going to control the controllables for myself. I come to work and do the best job that I can and try to get our team in position and win a game.”
This past Sunday’s loss was a major black eye on the feeling surrounding Arizona’s leadership three years in.
Not only did the Cardinals watch a second NFC West team drop 40 on their heads, Arizona’s record-setting 17 penalties for 130 yards painted the picture of an undisciplined team that was nowhere near ready to play. Injuries have played a role but cannot be an overarching excuse in a league filled with them.
At 3-7 and with seven games to play, the Cardinals are a near-insurmountable five games back from the top of the division.
They’re chances at the NFC Wild Card aren’t much better, sitting four games back from the final spot in the conference, currently held by San Francisco.
And with one of the toughest remaining strength of schedules in the league, things very well could get worse before they get better in Arizona.
As for any excuse about being behind the eight ball in the talent department, Gannon isn’t having it, telling Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo the Cardinals’ ownership has “1,000% times 10 absolutely” given him everything he needs to succeed in his role.