Like all teams whose seasons are over, the Eagles will spend the coming days processing how their campaign came to an end. That will include a meeting between owner Jeffrey Lurie and head coach Nick Sirianni in the near future.
That summit was initially set to take place yesterday, but it could not be arranged, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. When it does happen, though, Sirianni will be required to present a plan for 2024 including a number of new faces on the coaching staff, she and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport note (video link). Even before Philadelphia’s wild-card loss, it was expected changes would be taking place at the defensive coordinator spot at a minimum.
Matt Patricia took over for Sean Desai as the Eagles’ defensive play-caller in December, but that switch did not produce the intended results. Second-guessing over the decision to bring in Desai last offseason (rather than promoting Dennard Wilson) has permeated through the front office, though Philadelphia’s regression on offense has not reflected well on OC Brian Johnson either. The latter has received head coaching interest, but a new face overseeing the offense would come as no surprise in the event Sirianni were to remain in place for 2024.
The latter has led the Eagles to the postseason in each of his three years in his current post. That stretch includes a trip to the Super Bowl last year, but a nosedive through the closing weeks of the 2023 campaign has led to questions about his job security. Recent signs pointed to him being safe for now, but nothing is assured at this point. As Russini notes, Sirianni’s meeting with Lurie has been preceded by feelers being sent out for outside coaching options capable of taking over the coordinator posts.
Part of the Eagles’ regression can be traced to the loss of both Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon to head coaching positions last year. The team’s defense also suffered a number of losses due to free agent departures as well as injuries over the course of the 2023 campaign. Still, Sirianni’s stock has seen a significant downturn relative to where it was one year ago. More clarity on his job status should emerge once he presents his plan to Lurie, the aftermath of which will no doubt involve staff changes of some kind taking place.
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