Difficult Decisions Loom For The Eagles

The autopsy will start with embattled offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and unhappy receiver A.J. Brown.

Patullo may have not needed the Eagles to make a deep playoff run to save his job but he probably did need a victory over the wounded 49ers to make his case for another run with the offense.

Despite the low-hanging fruit of Patullo being some kind of neophyte, Philadelphia knows exactly what it has in the OC, who has been in the organization for five seasons.

Critics that often lament the lack of continuity Hurts has had in his career dating back to college are usually the same voices leading the torch and pitchfork crowd who demand a pound of fleash when the microwave needs more than 30 seconds to heat something properly.

The Eagles would be best-served by sticking by Patullo but perception has over taken reality and the name is likely too toxic to move forward with. Sirianni hardly offered a ringing endorsement for his long-time right-hand man, perhaps understanding the political winds and that the decision may be taken out of the head coach's hands.

"There will be time to evaluate everybody's performance," Sirianni said when asked by Eagles On SI about Patullo's futire. "Right now, I feel for all our guys in the locker room, all the players, all the coaches, the front office, everybody that works so hard, the fans that come out and support us, Mr. [Chairman/CEO Jeffrey] Lurie. I feel for all of us, all of them, and there'll be time to evaluate everything coming up."

Patullo's offense generated a respectable 308 yards against the 49ers, but the explosive plays weren't there and the second-half lulls continued. Fair or not, Patullo is the branding for the offensive struggles.

"That’s very unfair," star left tackle Jordan Mailata said. "You look at it from a player's standpoint, execution plays a massive role. And there were just so many plays in games where we just weren’t executing.”

On the field, Brown remains one of the Eagles' most gifted players but he's also unhappy with the style of offense Philadelphia plays and we have likely seen the tipping point.

The perception around the league is that the Eagles will make Brown available in the offseason, although any potential move would have to be designated post-June 1 due to an untenable cap situation prior to that.

On Sunday, Brown caught just three of his seven targets for 25 yards with at least two uncharacteristic drops that could have changed the complexion of the game. The WR1 also publicly battled with Sirianni on the sideline after being late to get off the field.

Although the money makes it difficult, a divorce is likely with Brown craving a fresh start elsewhere.

Next up is someone who produced at a higher level than ever with 13 touchdowns, tight end Dallas Goedert.

You'll remember in the offseason that Goedert had to take a $4 million financial haircut to return to the only professional team he's known. The veteran proved that he's still a difference maker and was the key to the Eagles' red-zone success this season. At 31, however, it's hard to imagine the Eagles reversing course on the financial front.

The problem for Philadelphia is there is no obvious heir apparent for Goedert but that's not enough to extend things for multiple years at big money, especially with a host of young defenders who will need to be paid on the horizon.

Of the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Nakobe Dean and safety Reed Blankenship face hurdles for potential returns.

Dean is in an equation where the athletic Jihaad Campbell needs to get on the field consistently in 2026 and keeping the status quo with three gifted LBs is more of a luxury than a poential reality.

Blankenship had a tough season from a coverage standpoint and received poor grades from Pro Football Focus but defensive coordinator Vic Fangio consistently put over Blankenship's role as a traffic cop on the back end and could be back under a team-friendly deal.

However, Blankenship changed agents just before the season and will be looking to cash in on unrestricted free agency. The bet here is that an Isaiah Rodgers-like situation develops and someone else pays Blankenship a little more than the Eagles are willing to go.