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THE Arizona Cardinals reportedly fined head coach Jonathan Gannon $100,000 for his sideline altercation with running back Emari Demercado.
Gannon was upset after Demercado dropped the ball before crossing the goal line on what should have been a 72-yard touchdown run that would have put Arizona up 28-6 early in the fourth quarter. Instead, the Cardinals lost to the Tennessee Titans22-21.
An animated Gannon was then seen going toe-to-toe with Demercado while offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. attempted to console his teammate, but this apparently cost Gannon a six-figure penalty.
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Dez Bryant disagreed with the Arizona Cardinals fining Jonathan Gannon for reprimanding Emari Demarcado after a costly mistake. (IMAGN/Getty Images)
Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was unhappy with the fine.
“I disagree with the Cardinals fining Coach Gannon $100,000…I believe this only happened because of the soft world we live in today…” he posted on not cause a strange atmosphere between Coach Gannon and Demercado…”
Gannon appeared to show remorse for the incident when he spoke to reporters Monday.
Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado (31) reacts on the sideline after fumbling the ball out of the end zone on a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
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“I woke up this morning and I didn’t feel good, honestly,” Gannon said via ESPN. “I just said [the team]I kind of let the moment of what happened get the better of me there. Obviously, I try to be emotionally stable and calm because my job is to solve problems during a match and lead the charge on that. So, that’s not really who I am, who I want to be, and I told the guys that today.
“So it’s a mistake on my part, and it’s like everyone here, everyone made some kind of mistake yesterday, which is why we didn’t win the game, and we can’t let that happen in the future.”
Head coach Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals watches the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at State Farm Stadium on October 5, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Norm Room/Getty Images)
This is the first time an NFL head coach has been fined for an altercation between players since Bruce Arians, who coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was penalized for hitting safety Andrew Adams’ helmet during a wild-card game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Buccaneers demanded $50,000 from Arians for the incident.
