GREEN BAY, Wis. -- There are two Jonathan Gannons on the Green Bay Packers coaching staff. There’s the one underneath the floppy hat and behind the sunglasses who strolls onto the practice field like he doesn’t have a care in the world. And the one his players describe.
And more than one used the same word to do so.
“He [is] a little crazy, you know,” safety Javon Bullard said.
“He’s got like a crazy little energy,” safety Evan Williams said.
Other players have offered similar descriptions.
“Oh yeah, J.G., man, he just turnt up, man,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said.
It sounds like he’s nothing like the guy in the infamous, cringeworthy video from a team meeting early in his tenure as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, during which he asked players whether they drove to the facility or took the bus, seemingly leaving them uninspired.
“The ‘crazy’ things ... I don’t know who said that, but [I know what] they’re probably alluding to,” Gannon said. “I do believe that words paint pictures, so there’s certain things in the install or certain things when we’re going over a tape review, I’m probably using an example that’s non-football-related that hopefully hits their brain and they can understand it a little bit better or it kinda cements it in: This has to get done. And I sometimes will use some examples that are probably a little bit out there, so maybe that’s what they’re talking about.”
Whatever the method, Gannon seems to be striking a chord with his new players, many of whom had close relationships with Gannon’s popular predecessor, Jeff Hafley. Seemingly no one was more universally liked and respected in the locker room than Hafley, who is now the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
So while there has been much talk about how Gannon’s scheme (a 3-4 base) differs from Hafley (who used a 4-3), it may be just as important to Gannon to connect with his players like Hafley did.
Star edge rusher Micah Parsons spoke glowingly about Hafley after last season, saying, “He’s another guy I can’t wait to have another year with.”
This was before Hafley got the job in Miami. And when presented with the notion that Hafley could leave for a head coaching job, it was as if Parsons was trying to speak it into non-existence.
“Nah, Haf ain’t going nowhere,” Parsons said at the time.
To be sure, coaches aren’t employed to win popularity contests, and being known as a player’s coach doesn’t always ring true with players.
“Anytime I need to get cussed out or need a chewing, he’s going to be on me,” cornerback Brandon Cisse said.
Gannon has been especially popular in the safety room. So far in camp, he has shown a willingness to use three safeties -- usually Bullard, Xavier McKinney and Williams -- on the field together. While Hafley did that with Bullard in the nickel, Gannon appears to have taken it a step further by giving all three safeties more responsibilities and more freedom.
“I’d probably say the biggest thing right now, obviously we got this three-safety look going on, which we love it right now,” McKinney said early in camp. “I think we’re gonna continue to love it. I think it’s gonna progress and get better as we learn different spots. We’re all able to move around and do different things.”
Only Franklin and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave had any previous experience with Gannon. Franklin was on the Colts when Gannon served as their defensive backs coach from 2018 to 2020. Hargrave and Gannon were together in Philadelphia when Gannon was the defensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022.
Franklin predicted early on that his fellow defenders like McKinney, Parsons and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper would quickly discover what he likes about Gannon.
“He’s gonna bring that fire, he’s gonna bring that energy.” Franklin said. “I think he recognizes who we have in that room, and he wants the players to play. And I think that’s just special.
“Some guys want to put themselves in that position, and they want their name in the media. Whereas J.G. understands, ‘Look, let the players play’ -- let us get in the best position, let Cooper and let ‘X’ be him, let Zaire be him, let Micah be Micah. So that’s what’s special about it, and you know he’s gonna bring that energy for sure. He’s gonna make sure we turnt up for sure.”
So even if Gannon seems a little monotonous in public, his players insist that’s not what he’s like behind the scenes.
“I feel like you need that as a D coordinator; you need to be a little on edge,” Williams said. “If you’re a D coordinator, and you’re fully stable and emotionally flatlined, I don’t need that.”
