The Colts and Eagles could pull off a rare move

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo shared that if there is a change with the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator position, a name to watch is Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.

Jim Bob Cooter's fit with the Eagles: 

This past season was Cooter's first with the Colts after being hired as Shane Steichen's offensive coordinator. He was with Steichen and current Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni in 2021 with the Eagles as an offensive consultant before taking the offensive pass game coordinator job with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022. 

You may be questioning why Cooter would be willing to make a lateral move to the Eagles for the same position he currently holds with the Colts. A significant factor that could lead to this would be his ability to be the primary play-caller with the Eagles, with Sirianni delegating that responsibility to his OC over the past two seasons. With Steichen's play calling being seen as a strength of his, there isn't a clear path for Cooter to do that with the Colts, which could lead him to believe the job with the Eagles could be better for his goals of continuing to move up the coaching ladder. 

Will the Eagles move off Brian Johnson?:

In his report, Garafolo said, "If there is a change at the Eagles offensive coordinator position." The most likely scenario is that current Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson will land one of the three head coaching jobs he is in the running for this hiring cycle: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, or Tennessee Titans. 

But if he doesn't land a head coaching job, the Eagles would have to fire Johnson if they wanted to hire Cooter for the role. The Eagles' offense had a significant drop off this past year after losing Steichen as their play caller; that responsibility fell on Johnson this season. Entering this year, Johnson was considered one of the up-and-coming offensive coaches in the NFL, and even after the rough season still has been a popular candidate for open head coaching jobs. But if play calling isn't an area he can excel at, the Eagles may be forced to move on from a respected coach. 

Brian Johnson's fit with the Colts: 

If the Eagles were to fire Johnson and hire Cooter, the Colts could be in need of a new offensive coordinator. And if Johnson becomes available, he could be a solid fit with the Colts. He worked closely with Steichen as the QB coach for two seasons and was mentioned as a key contributor in helping Jalen Hurts develop into the QB he is today. 

With the Colts, Johnson wouldn't be expected to call plays, and he could work with and help develop soon-to-be second-year QB Anthony Richardson. A QB that Johnson just so happens to have a past experience with. Before becoming the QB coach with the Eagles in 2021, Johnson spent three seasons with the University of Florida as their QBs coach, as well as one season as their offensive coordinator. His last season at Florida in 2020 was Richardson's freshman year. While Richardson only attempted two passes that season before redshirting, that season was crucial to his uptick in playing time over the following two years. 

In 2020, Johnson shared that he believed Richardson possessed "God-given ability." He elaborated on what Richardson had shown him as a freshman as they prepared for the upcoming season with Kyle Trask as their starter.

"He was really engaged in our Zooms over the summer, He's a great note taker. He's a great listener. He really gives you everything in terms of hisenergy and effort to become a really great player." 

- Brian Johnson in 2020

Richardson would go on to become the 4th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. And the Colts believe he is going to be that "really great player" that Johnson was describing. Based on his words in 2020, I think it's fair to say that Johnson would be interested in reuniting with Richardson if the opportunity presented itself.