The Green Bay Packers have hired Jonathan Gannon to be their next defensive coordinator. After head coach Matt LaFleur agreed to a contract extension with Green Bay, Jeff Hafley departed for the head coaching role with the Miami Dolphins. Hafley’s two seasons as the Packers defensive coordinator had fans optimistic, though the team’s five-game losing streak without Micah Parsons to end the 2025 NFL season had many of them not so sad to see him go.

Prior to signing his extension, there was a great deal of conjecture that LaFleur may not have the best job security. And after the extension, it became clear, at least to many, that hiring the best defensive coordinator possible would go a long way in determining whether or not he will last the full term of his new contract.

And while some fans are on board with the Gannon hiring, others are not.

Green Bay Packers fans react to Jonathan Gannon being hired as defensive coordinator

Gannon was recently fired as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, with whom he had a 15-36 record in three seasons.

While some fans believe he is a much better defensive coordinator than head coach, others are not convinced he is the right man for the job, especially since he was hired before Green Bay could interview Jim Leonhard:

Jonathan Gannon had one good year as DC with the Eagles when they were loaded with monsters on that side of the ball.

His teams in AZ were inept on defense, and last year they were among the worst defenses in the entire NFL.

Just an absurdly bad hire by LaFleur/Packers.

— SarahAnnRhoades (@SarahAnnRhoades) January 25, 2026

just got out of Mass. now have to go to confession for my reaction to jonathan gannon. pic.twitter.com/krnMWrKE00

— Annie Agar (@AnnieAgar) January 25, 2026

Jonathan Gannon once said “I don’t have a scheme. Our scheme should be to put our 11 guys on the field in the best position possible to succeed.”

Consider me optimistic about this hire🧀 https://t.co/szaQPgjCov

— garret (@garret_ct) January 25, 2026

Jonathan Gannon was not a good head coach. But he became a head coach because he was a good defensive coordinator.

— Wendell Ferreira (@wendellfp) January 25, 2026

Of course, it remains to be seen just how good or bad of a hire this was. That being said, Gannon is the fourth defensive coordinator of the LaFleur era in Green Bay. Unless Gannon succeeds and gets another shot as a head coach elsewhere, it is not for sure that the current Packers head coach will get a shot at hiring a fifth.

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