TEMPE, Arizona – Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon publicly apologized to running back Emari Demercado during a team meeting on Monday. The apology came after Gannon’s reaction to a Demercado mistake in the game against the Tennessee Titans. In the game, Demercado dropped the ball before crossing the goal line, which would have been a 72-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Titans ended up winning the game 22-21. In a video circulating on social media, Gannon is seen approaching Demercado, who was being consoled by left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. Gannon appeared visibly upset and berated the running back. Furthermore, he seems to have made contact with Demercado’s right arm. “I woke up this morning and, honestly, I didn’t feel good about it,” Gannon stated. Gannon explained that he got carried away by the moment and that his reaction was not what he wanted to show as the team leader. He took responsibility for his mistake and highlighted that everyone on the team, including himself, made mistakes that contributed to the defeat. Demercado’s touchdown would have put Arizona up 28-6 with about 12:40 remaining in the fourth quarter. According to data, teams leading by 22 points in the final quarter have a near-perfect record in the last 25 seasons. The Titans took advantage of Demercado’s mistake to start a comeback that gave them their first victory of the season and the Cardinals one of the worst defeats in franchise history. Gannon did not remove Demercado from the game after the play and assured that there would be no repercussions for the error. Gannon explained that his reaction was the result of frustration accumulated in a match full of errors and penalties. “I just thought it was a great play in the game that needed to be run,” Gannon said. “I would have liked to see it executed a little better.” In addition, Gannon announced that second-year tight end Tip Reiman will be placed on the injured reserve list due to an ankle injury, missing the rest of the season.
“That’s a great loss,” Gannon lamented.
Jonathan Gannon
