The holiday weekend is here but Jonathan Gannon promised he'd be working on setting his staff and he has taken the first step.
Saturday night, he reportedly picked his defensive coordinator, and Sunday morning, it was his offensive coordinator.
Drew Petzing, the 35-year-old quarterbacks coach of the Cleveland Browns and the man expected to be Gannon's pick even before Gannon got the job, was reported by NFL Network as the Cardinals' new offensive coordinator. He worked with Gannon when both were with the Vikings.
Nick Rallis, the 29-year-old linebackers coach for the Eagles under Gannon this past season, has been picked to be the new defensive coordinator, according to NFL Network. His relatively short coaching career in the NFL started in 2018 with the Vikings, for whom he coached through 2020 (with Gannon) before both moved over to the Eagles.
"I'm gonna have some guys with major, major experience worked into the staff because I value that, too," Gannon told Peter King of NBC Sports. "But as far as who's running the offense and the defense, age was never a factor for me – what was in their brain and what was in their heart is."
Rallis was a college teammate at the University of Minnesota with Cardinals tight end Maxx Williams.
"I don't think about too much as far as where do I lack in my lack of experience," Rallis said during his first year as linebackers coach with the Eagles. "I just try to focus on accumulating as much knowledge as possible."
On Sunday, NFL Network also reported the Eagles had interest in promoting Rallis to Gannon's vacant post, and that the Broncos and Sean Payton also had interest in potentially making Rallis their defensive coordinator.
Petzing is the Cardinals' first offensive coordinator since Byron Leftwich. Previous coach Kilff Kingsbury did not have someone in that role during his tenure.
The moves have not been announced officially, nor has the status of former defensive coordinator Vance Joseph -- who has reportedly interviewed with the Broncos for the same position.
