Insider provides concerning details about the Eagles' late-season collapse

Roughly a month removed from a stunning collapse to end the 2023 campaign, the Philadelphia Eagles are still searching for answers about what went wrong. Well, according to insider Derrick Gunn, issues concerning quarterback Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni may have played a pivotal role. 

Sources close to the team told Gunn that Hurts crumbled under the weight of his big-money contract, causing inconsistent play. 

Hurts' rise in popularity and a freshly signed five-year, $255 million contract pulled him in "numerous directions" on and off the field. This put even more pressure on the 25-year-old signal-caller, who allegedly didn't handle it well. 

The Eagles' monumental fall spared few, as no one was immune to blame. That said, there was a noticeable change in Hurts' play this season compared to last. 

Following a 2022 campaign in which he was highly efficient and rarely turned the football over, Hurts regressed alarmingly in 2023. His completion percentage ranked 13th (65.8) among starters, while only three quarterbacks had more games with an interception than Hurts (11), who threw just six picks total the prior season. 

Meanwhile, the same source spilling juicy tidbits about Hurts said the team's head coach, Sirianni, often displayed erratic behavior on the sidelines, which could have contributed to the late-season freefall. 

Per Gunn, Sirianni engaged in "numerous arguments" with players and coaches during games, with those problems only worsening in the absence of Eagles head of security, Dom DiSandro, who the NFL suspended following a sideline altercation with San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw in Week 13. 

The issues with Hurts are concerning but understandable and there's reason to believe he can shake off this past season and improve in 2024. In Sirianni's case, though, the fact that he could not control himself so often is worrisome, as the team has enough problems to address without stressing about a coach who needs a babysitter to help him keep his emotions in check. 

The Eagles would undoubtedly love to turn the page and put last season behind them. Yet, that seems like wishful thinking at this point, which should make for an interesting offseason in Philadelphia.