A former Green Bay Packers linebacker who helped the team win a Super Bowl has offered a blunt assessment of the club’s new defensive coordinator, saying he never liked the choice.
Brady Poppinga made the comments during an appearance on Mad Dog Sports Radio. A clip of the interview circulated Friday.
“Honestly, I hated the hire,” Poppinga said.
He followed that with a sharper line: “Jonathan Gannon is not a good defensive coordinator.”
The remarks come nearly seven months after the Packers brought Gannon aboard and just as the team prepares for the regular season.
Green Bay hired Gannon on Feb. 2 after Jeff Hafley left to become head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Packers coach Matt LaFleur called Gannon an experienced coach and “a strong leader of our defense” when the team announced the move.
Gannon spent the previous three seasons as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. He finished 15-36 in that job and was fired after a 3-14 season in 2025.
His earlier work as a coordinator looked different. Gannon ran the Philadelphia Eagles defense in 2021 and 2022. In his final year there the unit posted 70 sacks and ranked second in the NFL in total defense as Philadelphia reached Super Bowl LVII.
Poppinga’s history with the Packers gives the criticism extra weight around the organization. He played six seasons in Green Bay from 2005 through 2010 and was part of the Super Bowl XLV championship team. Over an eight-year NFL career he appeared in 100 regular-season games.
Inside the building the early reviews have been warmer. Gannon said in May that he was building a “new system” around the strengths of the players already on the roster instead of simply bringing in the schemes he used in Philadelphia or Arizona.
Defensive end Lukas Van Ness said during minicamp that Gannon’s approach was “allowing us to play free without thinking.” Gannon later praised Van Ness’ versatility and called the former first-round pick an “intricate part” of what the Packers want to do on defense.
Two-time All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney has also sounded comfortable. Packers.com described him earlier this month as a “dynamic fit,” noting that Gannon has used a deep group of safeties and different combinations to change the look before the snap.
Gannon also inherited high-end talent that includes Micah Parsons, which raises the bar for results in his first season with the Packers.
The team has talked up Gannon’s energy and willingness to adapt throughout camp. Several defenders have said they feel at ease with the new scheme.
Poppinga remains unconvinced those comments match Gannon’s body of work as a coordinator and head coach.
The regular season will offer the first meaningful test after months of meetings, practices and preseason games. A strong start on defense could push Poppinga’s comments into the background. A sluggish opening could bring the “hated the hire” line back into the conversation just as quickly.
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