Cardinals Fined Coach Jonathan Gannon
The Arizona Cardinals have apparently fined head coach Jonathan Gannon $100,000 following an incident involving running back Emari DeMercado.
This all stemmed from a dropped ball by DeMercado, which would have resulted in a 72-yard touchdown, potentially putting Arizona ahead 28-6 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Instead, the team ended up losing to the Tennessee Titans by a score of 22-21.
Footage shared on social media showcased Gannon confronting DeMercado after the mistake, with offensive tackle Paris Johnson nearby trying to console DeMercado. Gannon seemed to get quite close to DeMercado before lightly touching the running back’s arm as he turned away.
On Monday, Gannon apologized, acknowledging, “I let a moment get the better of me.” Interestingly, this is the first instance of an NFL head coach facing a fine over a sideline altercation with a player. A previous similar situation involved Bruce Arians of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who was fined $50,000 for an incident with safety Andrew Adams.
DeMercado’s misplay allowed the Titans to gain momentum, as rookie quarterback Cam Ward led a scoring drive that reduced the deficit. Additionally, DeMercado wasn’t the only one at fault; several defenders couldn’t recover a fumble in the red zone following an interception, which enabled Tennessee’s Tyler Lockett to score a surprising touchdown.
After Arizona failed to secure a first down, Ward then guided the Titans on a final drive that culminated in a game-winning field goal as time expired.
