TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals are fining coach Jonathan Gannon $100,000 for his sideline altercation Sunday with running back Emari Demercado, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
Demercado dropped the football before crossing the goal line in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Tennessee Titans on what would have been a 72-yard touchdown run.
In a video later posted on social media, Gannon is seen walking over to Demercado on the sideline as he was being consoled by left tackle Paris Johnson and getting in the running back’s face. He continued his rant as he began walking away from Demercado and appeared to make contact with the running back’s right arm.
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On Monday, Gannon said he apologized to Demercado and the Cardinals players during a team meeting that afternoon.
“I just told them, I kind of let the moment of what happened get the better of me there,” Gannon said.
Sources told Schefter there won’t be any other discipline for Gannon.
Gannon becomes the first NFL head coach to be fined for an altercation with a player since the league fined then-Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians $50,000 for swiping his hand at safety Andrew Adams’ helmet during a January 2022 wild-card game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The mistake by Demercado proved costly in Arizona’s eventual 22-21 loss.
Had he scored, the touchdown and the extra point would have put Arizona up 28-6 with about 12:40 left in the fourth quarter. Teams up 22 points in the fourth quarter are 1,276-1 over the past 25 seasons, according to ESPN Research.
