Wednesday Cheese Curds: More from Packers assistants

CINCINNATI, OHIO - DECEMBER 28: Head coach Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals looks on in the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images Getting to hear Jonathan Gannon speak this week was an interesting, if funny and not-all-that-surprising, diversion. But while the defensive coordinator sets the table, his assistant coaches are responsible for preparing most of the meal.

Whatever Gannon’s vision for the defense might be (and despite his claims, he does have a scheme), it’ll be on the position-specific, on-field assistants to teach it, implement it, and get all the defensive players on the same page. And to that end, it was interesting to hear a couple of the Packers’ new defensive assistants talk this week as well. Like Gannon, most of what they said wasn’t surprising.

Everybody wants to be fast and physical. Everybody wants more takeaways (wouldn’t you rather take the ball away more than less? Of course you would).

Everybody wants to have intelligent, athletic players who are coaches on the field but can also run faster, jump higher, and tackle better than their peers across the league. But I submit that it’s still important to pay attention whenever Gannon or his assistants (or any coordinator or coach in Green Bay) speaks. You may not learn more from any given press conference, but you’ll start to notice trends and developments over time, and those little elements will shape what the Packers look like on the field in a big way.