The Arizona Cardinals fined their coach, Jonathan Gannon $100,000 for a sideline altercation the 42-year-old had with running back Emari Demercado during the team’s Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The incident occurred when Gannon approached Demercado after the 26-year-old running back inexplicably lost the ball just ahead of the goal line for what should have been a 72-yard touchdown. Instead, the ball rolled out of the back of the end-zone for a touchback.
Gannon delivered a heated message to Demercado before hitting him hard on the right arm as he walked away.
Gannon told reporters Monday he had apologized to both Demercado and the team for his actions.
‘I woke up this morning and didn’t feel great about it, honestly,’ Gannon said.
‘I just told them, I kind of let the moment of what happened get the better of me there,’ Gannon added of his message to the team. ‘Obviously, I try to be emotionally stable and calm because my job is to solve problems during a game and lead the charge on that. So, it’s not really who I am, who I want to be, and I told the guys that today.
‘So, it’s a mistake by me, and it’s just like everybody in there, everybody made some type of mistake yesterday, which culminates to why we didn’t win the game. We can’t let it happen moving forward.’
Gannon becomes the first NFL coach to be fined for an altercation with a player since 2022, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Then-Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians was fined $50,000 for striking Philadelphia Eagles safety Andrew Adams in the helmet during a wild-card playoff game.
The NFL will not be taking any action against Gannon after the Cardinals fined him, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
‘We have been in contact with the NFLPA, and the club which addressed the matter,’ the NFL said. ‘There is no further action from the league.’