When Jonathan Gannon walked into his interview with Matt LaFleur for the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator position, he brought something unexpected: not a playbook, but a philosophy. The same one he's carried since his days coordinating the Philadelphia Eagles defense back in 2021.

Gannon told then-Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni that he didn't have a specific scheme locked and loaded. Instead, he planned to build his defense around what his players did best. Sirianni's response? A laugh and a challenge: "You better get one."

Fast forward five years, and Gannon still hasn't settled into one particular system. When he became head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, the approach stayed the same. And now, as he takes the reins of Green Bay's defense, he made sure LaFleur understood this from day one.

"The point is the game adapts," Gannon explained. "I don't really get caught up in the 4-3, 3-4 debate. We're an NFL-style defense, hopefully. You've got to continually adapt and solve problems, and really with your guys in mind."

For a team like the Packers, who are in a transitional phase with young talent on defense, Gannon's flexible approach could be exactly what they need. He's not married to any one look—whether it's a traditional 4-3 front or a modern 3-4 scheme. Instead, he's focused on what works for the players he has.

"Yeah, there's some principles, some things I like to do—but it's only if our players can do it," Gannon said. "I told them the other day, if we're not good at this, just because I like it, we're not going to do it."

This means Gannon is taking his time building the Packers' defensive playbook. He's waiting until he gets to know his new players before committing to specific schemes. And when he does start drawing up plays, he'll be pulling inspiration from across the NFL and college football.

"I told the players this is going to be a little different for them," Gannon said. "As we're teaching them things, they're going to see tape of Philly, Minnesota, Arizona, Green Bay, San Francisco, Buffalo, Alabama, Georgia. I don't really get caught up in, 'This is my playbook, here's what we're going to run.' Because if you say that, you're really not adapting your scheme to the players you have."

For Packers fans, this means one thing: expect a defense that evolves throughout the season, tailored to the strengths of stars like Jaire Alexander, Rashan Gary, and the rest of Green Bay's emerging roster. Gannon isn't bringing a pre-packaged scheme to Lambeau—he's bringing a blank canvas and a willingness to paint whatever picture fits his players best.