Due to injuries in their backfield, the Arizona Cardinals are using third- and fourth-string players. RB James Conner suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3 vs. the 49ers.
Additionally, backup Trey Benson suffered a knee injury in Week 4 and has been placed on IR. In the fourth quarter of week 5 vs. Tennessee accidentally let Emari Demercado drop the ball before crossing the goal line. This set up a touchdown that would have put the Cardinals up by three scores. Head coach Jonathan Gannon was furious on the sideline and got in Demercado’s face. On Tuesday morning, NFL insiders reported that Gannon publicly apologized to Emari Demercado for his sideline outburst.
Jonathan Gannon reflected on his fiery sideline with RB Emari Demercado
Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon apologized to Emari Demercado during a team meeting Monday for his reaction after running the football before crossing the goal line on what would have been a 72-yard touchdown.
Story via @joshweinfuss:https://t.co/eumfwzyuv5
– Adam Scha na (@adamscha na) October 7, 2025
At 21-6 in the fourth quarter of Week 5, Emari Demercado took a handoff from Kyler Murray on third-and-one. Demercado burst through the line untouched and had a clear path to the end zone. Despite it being a 72-yard rush, Emari Demercado made a huge mistake. Before completely crossing the goal line, the third-year pro dropped the ball. A touchdown was called back for the Cardinals and they would have gone up 28-6 with about 12:00 minutes left.
According to ESPN, over the past 25 seasons, teams have been 1,276-1 when up by 22 points in the fourth quarter. Instead of taking a three-score lead, the Cardinals maintained a 21-6 advantage. After Emari Demercado’s inexcusable mess, he was seen being comforted on the sidelines by lineman Paris Johnson Jr.
AGAIN. #Cardinals RB Emari Demercado just had a 76-yard TD—but he released the ball before crossing the goal line, and it’s a touchback.
How does this keep happening?!
pic.twitter.com/estli9r4jw
– Ari Meirov (@mysportsupdate) October 5, 2025
Then head coach Jonathan Gannon found Demercado on the sideline and let him have it. The 26-year-old RB cost the Cardinals a valuable touchdown in the fourth quarter. Gannon was seen in Demercado’s face and even made contact with his right arm as he walked away. After reflecting on the incident, Jonathan Gannon said, “I woke up this morning and I didn’t feel good about it, to be honest.”
Arizona’s head coach addressed the team on Monday and publicly apologized to RB Emari Demercado. Joanthan Gannon said he let the moment get the better of him. It wasn’t a great look for Gannon on the sideline. At 2-3, the Cardinals have a tough two-game stretch moving forward. They are on the road in Week 6 to face the Colts and then at home in Week 7 versus the Green Bay Packers. Lose three straight games and fall to 2-5?
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