Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon blasts Michael Vick’s 2007 arrest in wild press conference moment

Tensions are hotter than the desert heat in Phoenix right now for Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Those tensions appeared to boil over at the end of Gannon’s Wednesday press conference when a reporter asked him when he learned how to take the emotions out of his coaching.

“2007, when our quarterback went to jail,” Gannon said flatly.

— Maserati Marv 🏎️💨 (@MHJera_) October 15, 2025

It was a wild ending to an otherwise routine media session. For context, Gannon was a defensive quality control coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 — the same year quarterback Michael Vick was arrested and sentenced for his involvement in a federal dogfighting ring.

The scandal rocked the NFL. Vick, one of the league’s brightest stars at the time, missed two full seasons while serving his sentence. The Falcons, forced to rely on Joey Harrington, Byron Leftwich and Chris Redman under center, stumbled to a 4-12 record and earned the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

The reference was jarring but revealing. It showed a rare unfiltered moment from Gannon, who’s often been criticized for his controlled, almost robotic approach to press conferences. The remark also shed light on how deeply the pressure has started to affect him in his third season with the Cardinals.

Jonathan Gannon facing pressure with Cardinals

Now in his third year leading the team, Gannon is still trying to figure out how to make the Cardinals competitive in a stacked NFC West. Arizona sits at 2-4 and has lost four straight games, including an especially ugly 31-17 defeat to the Tennessee Titans in Week 5.

That game featured one of the lowest moments of Gannon’s tenure when running back Emari Demercado fumbled just before crossing the goal line on what would’ve been an easy touchdown. Cameras captured Gannon’s furious reaction on the sideline, and a video later surfaced appearing to show the coach striking Demercado while shouting at him.

The NFL later fined Gannon $100,000 for the incident, calling it “conduct detrimental to the league.” The coach later apologized, saying his emotions “got the better” of him in the moment.

Still, the episode — coupled with Arizona’s on-field struggles — only intensified speculation about his future. Gannon’s overall record now sits at 14-26, and he’s yet to post a winning season since taking over in 2023.