The Arizona Cardinals got their guy earlier this year when they hired former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to be their new head coach.
However, they didn’t exactly play by the rules to get him. As it turns out, the Cardinals violated league tampering policies by contacting Gannon after the NFC Championship Game this past season. Philadelphia’s season was ongoing on that point.
Also during Philadelphia’s playoff run, the Miami Dolphins came to an agreement with Vic Fangio for him to become their new defensive coordinator starting in the 2023 season. Fangio was affiliated with the Eagles this past season, but the Dolphins didn’t commit any tampering violations in their hiring of him.
Here’s where things get interesting: According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Dolphins likely wouldn’t have been able to land Fangio had the Cardinals played by the rules with Gannon.
"I think it impacted a lot of peoples’ lives. Vic Fangio, for example, probably would not have taken the Dolphins defensive coordinator job and would be the defensive coordinator in Philadelphia today if everything was on the up and up." – @AdamSchefter on the Gannon tampering
— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) May 3, 2023
Schefter’s report leaves a little room for interpretation. However, one has to imagine that if the Eagles knew that Gannon and the Cardinals had been in contact behind the scenes during the playoffs, they likely would have done everything in their power to keep Fangio around instead of letting him come to an agreement with the Dolphins.
It sounds like a promotion to Eagles defensive coordinator would have been in order for Fangio if things had unfolded differently. Instead, the Dolphins swooped in and added the 64-year-old to their staff.
It’s fascinating to see how one thing can lead to another in the sports world, and the domino effect in this case certainly worked in Miami’s favor.
Fangio and the Dolphins organization have had a busy offseason so far, adding key staffers and players to put the defense in position to succeed this coming season. Miami is hoping to turn things around on the defensive side of the ball after taking a step back there in the 2022 season.
Ultimately, the goal for the Dolphins is to challenge for a Super Bowl with all of the talent the team has on its roster. The organization hasn’t won a playoff game in over two decades, but it doesn’t seem like that drought is going to last much longer.
