“He can only point to himself”: Former NFL WR predicts Nick Sirianni’s job on the line after Eagles’ meltdown last season
Coach Nick Sirianni was given a lot of credit for helping return the Philadelphia Eagles to the insanely high bar set by former coach Doug Pederson. However, not long after taking the Eagles to the Super Bowl with quarterback Jalen Hurts, his job stock might be dipping.
Speaking on Wednesday's edition of ESPN's "Get Up," NFL analyst Andrew Hawkins explained why he believed Sirianni could have one of the hottest seats in the league.
"Sirianni is one where I feel like he can only point to himself," Hawkins said. "There's not a 'he has this quarterback.' He has an offense with a ton of talent. He has a team with a ton of talent. They were great in the first 11 weeks of last season.
"They were one of the best teams in the NFL and yet still they imploded. ... I feel like [this] points to Sirianni at the top because if it goes bad for him, I feel like we'll know exactly who to point the finger at."
The Philadelphia Eagles finished 11-6 in 2023, one season after finishing 14-3 and reaching the Super Bowl. If Nick Sirianni's Eagles only manage to hover around .500 this year, it would be a second straight season of decline. Steady declines are the fastest indication to owners and general managers that something big needs to change.
The fastest and simplest change would be to move on from quarterback or head coach. Jalen Hurts has played at a level difficult to replace in the NFL. However, Sirianni could be replaced for free in terms of draft capital and a few million dollars, depending on the new candidate hire.
Nick Sirianni's Eagles face Super Bowl rematch in preseason Week 2
There isn't a Super Bowl on the line this week, but there is a recent Super Bowl opponent on the schedule. Nick Sirianni's Eagles will take on the New England Patriots on Thursday at 7 p.m. EST. It will be the only game of the day, and with no matchup on the NFL schedule until Saturday this week aside from the showdown, fans will be eyeballing the contest in force.
The Olympics have also concluded, so this will be the first time this season that football will be the premier focus of the sports zeitgeist for all but hardcore baseball fans.
As such, Drake Maye has an opportunity to do his best Tom Brady impression against the Eagles with perhaps the biggest spotlight on a game yet this season. The pressure could be high for a preseason tilt, and it will be revealing to see how certain players handle it in both corners.
If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Get Up" and H/T Sportskeeda.