Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has already faced a good deal of adversity in getting the team ready for the start of the season. But some behind the scenes footage of him talking to the players suggests that he might be having an awkward time of it.
In the latest episode of the Cardinals’ self-produced “Cardinals Flight Plan,” Gannon gives a pep talk to his players that gets very weird, very quickly. He gives a speech about having “fire in your gut” that the players don’t seem to react to very well – or at all.
While we don’t get to see much of how the Cardinals players viewed the speech, NFL fans were quick to make their own feelings known. The verdict was pretty clear cut: It was awful.
Fans have taken to X to share the clip and believe that it was so bad and Gannon is so in over his head that the Cardinals might wind up being the worst team in the league this year.
When he says “you got fire in your gut?” it is the least fire-in-your-gut line of all time. What a goober. https://t.co/tlBdJZCoEk
— Jason Moore (@jasonffl) September 1, 2023
If this were Madden and you’re a Cardinals fan you’d auto-skip to the next season. https://t.co/INFwqJC0Ee
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) September 1, 2023
I watched this and was sure that he wanted his players to drive themselves.
Then I watched it again and was sure Gannon wants his players to take the bus.
Now I’ve watched it eight times in a row and I know absolutely nothing. https://t.co/dz9ZxYDdXo
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) September 1, 2023
Nvm, they might actually go 0-17 https://t.co/Or9Zd79O2u
— Tom Grossi (@tomgrossicomedy) September 1, 2023
It’s incredible watching in real time as the Cardinals players all realize that they aren’t winning a single game this year https://t.co/j4W7ybJ5OJ
— Chris OIIey (@chrisoIIey) September 1, 2023
Jonathan Gannon is heading into his first year as an NFL head coach and the team was already slated to have growing pains. But with quarterback Kyler Murray out until further notice as he continues to recover from last year’s injuries, those growing pains will likely be agonizing.
Gannon’s first impressions thus far are really not doing him any favors.