Following the Philadelphia Eagles’ 1-6 finish to the season, there was a lot of speculation about the future of head coach Nick Sirianni. After the team’s historic collapse, Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman have decided to stick with Sirianni and give him the opportunity to fix things.
On Wednesday afternoon, Sirianni and Roseman held a joint end-of-season press conference, marking the first time the public has heard from either of them since the playoff loss. Roseman acknowledged the delay in speaking with the media, citing disappointment from the season and snow storms in the Philadelphia area.
Nick Sirianni said it was “business as usual” as we go about our end of year meeting.
“Not anything different than it’s been the past [two] years.”
Sirianni said he didn’t have to sell his vision … but after the 1-6 finish “we need to re-prove ourselves.”
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) January 24, 2024
In recent days, multiple signs pointed to the decision to retain Sirianni. This included the firing of defensive coordinator Sean Desai and offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, as well as reports of Matt Patricia exploring other options. The team also began interviewing various candidates for both offensive and defensive coordinator positions. Despite the outward uncertainty, the Eagles had remained quiet until their press conference.
Now, it has been officially confirmed that Sirianni will continue in his role as head coach.
Sounds like the Eagles plan to further limit Nick Sirianni’s control over the offense.
When asked what his role is as the HC who isn’t super involved on offense or defense, he pointed to making sure the culture is right and the team is living up to core values.
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) January 24, 2024
Sirianni has earned respect for his accomplishments with the team, particularly during his first two years as head coach. Despite criticisms, his enthusiastic personality resonated with a large portion of the fanbase and embodied the spirit of the Eagles. His tenure includes three playoff appearances, franchise and league records, back-to-back seasons with two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher, and numerous offensive achievements in 2022. Additionally, he was well-liked in the locker room for at least 2.5 years.
However, the 2023 season revealed significant issues that ultimately placed blame on Sirianni and his decision-making. As the team struggled to turn things around in their final seven games, the head coach appeared to be at a loss for solutions.
Following the wild card playoff game, Sirianni expressed that he wasn’t concerned about job security, and quarterback Jalen Hurts indicated that he didn’t anticipate the head coach leaving. Despite outside speculation that Sirianni had lost the locker room, veterans Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce publicly voiced their support for him, with Cox even expressing frustration at being questioned about it.
Players repeatedly took responsibility for the team’s shortcomings and did not deflect blame to the head coach. The external speculation about Sirianni losing the locker room holds less weight now that he is staying with the team.
Sirianni will now have the opportunity to reconfigure the coaching staff and the team’s identity on offense and defense.
