Rushed decision or smart strategy? The Green Bay Packers snagged Jonathan Gannon amid rival interest, potentially overlooking another top defensive coordinator candidate.
If the timing seemed a bit odd, it's because it was. The Green Bay Packers hired a new defensive coordinator this past weekend. Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is going to be their guy.
In the meantime, though, there were reports (and credible ones at that) that there was mutual interest between head coach Matt LaFleur and Denver Broncos assistant head coach/defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard.
The issue for the Packers was that on Sunday, Leonhard was coaching in the AFC Championship game, which was a contest his team ultimately lost.
Gannon, at the same time, was receiving interest from other organizations.
"A source also said Gannon was drawing interest from both Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh for their respective defensive coordinator openings with the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Giants, and if the Packers had waited any longer, they might have lost out on Gannon," Rob Demovsky of ESPN reported.
On one hand, if the Packers really liked Gannon -- and they clearly did -- it does make sense that LaFleur and the Packers locked him up.
On the other hand, if they were indeed interested in Leonhard -- and we know they were -- they could have literally waited just a few days, interviewed the former Wisconsin Badger player and coach, and then made an educated decision between two of their top targets.
After all, it's one thing to hear that the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Giants were interested in Gannon. It's another thing altogether had the Harbaughs respectively sat down and interviewed Gannon, and to this point, they had not.
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon addresses the media during a news conference at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on July 24, 2024. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK.Was this another panic move by LaFleur and the Packers?
He's a great head coach, and his winning percentage would back that point up. When things get a bit tight, though, LaFleur has shown an inability to think clearly and live up to the moment.
Had they wanted to at least interview Leonhard, they could have and should have waited. Instead, it seems like they rushed to hire Gannon just because there were rumors out there that other franchises were interested.
That's not to say Gannon isn't a good hire, because there are certainly lots of reasons to like him as a defensive coordinator.
With that said, this does all of a sudden feel a bit too LaFleur-ian, especailly just weeks removed from the epic playoff collapse against the Chicago Bears.
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