Did relationship between Eagles QB Jalen Hurts and OC Brian Johnson sour?

Details of the dysfunction within the Philadelphia Eagles are beginning to emerge in the aftermath of the team's monumental collapse. 

While head coach Nick Sirianni's future is still uncertain, offensive coordinator Brian Johnson's might be even murkier. 

According to Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports, there was a falling out between Johnson and the man who openly campaigned for him to get the OC job in 2023, starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. Apparently, due to the Eagles' struggling offense, the relationship "soured," especially toward the back end of the season.

"One team source said Hurts audibled and freelanced more frequently late in the season, and that he and Johnson rarely seemed to be on the same page," Vachiano wrote. 

The rumored rift isn't surprising considering the Eagles underachieved on that side of the ball despite boasting arguably one of the best offensive lines in the NFL with weapons like running back D'Andre Swift, tight end Dallas Goedert and explosive wideouts DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. 

Only a year removed from a run to the Super Bowl behind Hurts and a seemingly unstoppable offense, many criticized the unit for lacking creativity and being too "predictable" in 2023. While the eye test told the story, too, proof of the offense's decline lies in the numbers. 

Following a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13, dropping them to 10-2, the Eagles were last in the NFL in motion and snap motion percentage, a trend that continued over the final weeks. 

Meanwhile, after ranking third in points per game (28) in 2022, they fell to seventh (25) this season. Furthermore, the unit also saw a dip in passing yards (241 to 225) and rushing yards per game (148 to 129). 

It might not seem like a massive fall from grace on the surface, but the problems shined brightest over the final seven weeks of the year. The Eagles closed the regular season losing five of six games, backing into the playoffs before an embarrassing 32-9 beatdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round. 

Over that stretch, the offense averaged only 19 points a game, with 218 passing and 109 rushing yards. 

Hurts, who recently inked a five-year, $255M extension, isn't going anywhere. However, even though he and Johnson have a history that goes back to Hurts' high school days, it appears that no matter what happens with Sirianni, the franchise will have a new face at OC next season.