Sean Mannion. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Eagles take risky swing with Sean Mannion hire at offensive coordinator

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Jan 29, 2026 6:51 PM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles completed one of their most important moves of the offseason on Thursday when they officially ended their search for an offensive coordinator. The team announced the hiring of Sean Mannion for the role, replacing the recently fired Kevin Patullo.

Mannion spent nine years in the NFL as a backup quarterback, but he has only been working as a coach for two years since his retirement as a player.

It is that in experience that makes the move such a risk for the Eagles.

Eagles take big swing on unknown Sean Mannion

To this point, Mannion's only coaching work in football comes from two years with the Green Bay Packers, spending one year as an offensive assistant (2024) and one year as the team's quarterbacks coach (2025).

He has no play-calling experience and has never been the creator of an offense, a playbook or an overall identity for a unit.

The Philadelphia Eagles are hiring Sean Mannion as Offensive Coordinator. pic.twitter.com/3TFXAzc9AS
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 29, 2026

He comes highly regarded for his X's and O's understanding as well as his knowledge of the game and wort ethic, but there is still going to be an element of unknown to this when it comes to how it will all play out on game days.

The Eagles offense took a massive step backward during the 2025 season, and Patullo was oftentimes the target for fan and media criticism.

Despite having one of the most expensive and most talented offensive lineups in the NFL, including two outstanding wide receivers (A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith) and one of the league's best running backs (Saquon Barkley), the Eagles offense lacked both explosiveness and consistency.

After being a top-10 team in total yards and points in each of the previous three seasons, the Eagles dropped down to 19th in total points and 24th in total yards during the 2025 season. Play-calling and an overly simplistic scheme were common criticisms.

Now Mannion has the task of bringing a spark to the roster.

He is certainly going to have plenty of talent to work with.

The question still to be answered is how well he handles such an increased role. It is not like he is tip-toeing into the pool, either. He is being thrown right into the deep -end with a Super Bowl-caliber roster, with Super Bowl expectations in a city that has absolutely no patience for underachieving.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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