NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
The Arizona Cardinals find themselves in another playoff-less season, and even though it was due to close games not going their way, it’s been a slog ever since.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon’s team has been slipping defensively, as they have allowed 40 or more points in four of their last six games, all of which have been losses.
One of the main culprits on defense is the Cardinals’ lack of tackling ability, ranking them as the lowest team in the NFL in that category, according to Pro Football Focus.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon pauses before answering a question during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
But Gannon believes NFL rules have a role to play in his team’s problems in that area.
“The way the rules are set, it’s hard to improve as a tackler in the NFL, I’ll say that,” Gannon said, according to ESPN.
With many missed tackles recorded in the 40-20 loss to the Houston Texans last week, marking 11 losses in their last 12 games, Gannon told reporters that tackling was a topic of conversation among his staff this week.
JASON KELCE MAKES DESPERATE PLEA FOR NFL TEAMS TO ABANDON THE HALFTIME DOG LAW
He added that the Cardinals have tackling drills in practice, but he believes “there’s no drill you can do that can mimic a game.”
ESPN Research found that the Cardinals have allowed 40 carries of at least five yards after first contact, which ranks third in the league.
The league, however, limits padded practices to just 14 during the regular season, and 11 of them must occur in the first 11 weeks of the season. This is according to the league’s 2020 collective bargaining agreement.
With players needing to hone their skills in the tackling department and having few opportunities to do so, Gannon sees a lack of development opportunities on his team.
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon walks onto the field before an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
“Rules are rules,” Gannon responded when asked if he would like to see these rules changed.
Gannon even said it’s like telling PGA Tour star Scottie Scheffler that he can’t practice his wedges.
“You set it up how you set it up, it’s fine,” Gannon explained. “But to improve a skill, you have to practice it. You practice the skill, you can scale it, you can scale the tempo, you can scale how you do it, but to practice a skill, you need to practice the skill.
“So it’s a conundrum that I think all defenders face and there’s risk-reward in trying to practice it no matter how you set things up.”
Of course, each team is in the same position as the Cardinals with league-wide rules.
“A lot of people think that you can’t practice it, that it’s better to get people who can handle it because you’re not going to help them at all,” Gannon added. “That is also a reflection process. Everyone has their own thing. But it is a challenge.”
Combine FOX One and FOX Nation to stream the entire FOX Nation library, plus live FOX news, sports and entertainment at our lowest price of the year. Offer ends January 4, 2026. (Fox One; Fox Nation)
With a 3-11 record and no playoffs, the Cardinals are evaluating everyone on their roster in these three remaining games, where Gannon and the rest of the staff hope the tackle, and all phases, improve to break their losing streak.
It starts with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, who possess one of the most explosive running backs in the league, Bijan Robinson.
