Tim McManus, ESPN Workforce Essayist
PHILADELPHIA — Eagles veteran defensive take on Fletcher Cox presented a passionate protection of Nick Sirianni amid questions in regards to the lecturer’s month with the franchise.
“What is there to talk about, man? He’s a winner. He’s a winning head coach,” Cox mentioned. “Did we have some bumps this year? Yeah. But every team, every organization, everybody goes through it. But we don’t look at firing a man who obviously has won 10-plus games two years in a row, who’s taken this organization to three playoff appearances three years in a row. That’s a respect.
“Mentor is a great chief for this crew, he does a in reality excellent process. Did we arise cut? Yeah. Did issues occur this date? Yeah. However I don’t speak about firing a person. This guy’s were given a crowd.”
Sirianni, 42, has led the Eagles to a 34-17 regular season record and three playoff appearances in as many seasons, including a trip to Super Bowl LVII last February that ended in a 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Philadelphia followed that up with a 10-1 start to its 2023 campaign but then lost six of its last seven games, including an uninspired 32-9 loss to the 9-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Monday’s wild card playoff matchup.
A decision to replace defensive coordinator Sean Desai with Matt Patricia late in the season, which Sirianni said was his call alone, proved disastrous. And a gifted Eagles team was unable to find its way out of an extended rut, leading to speculation about whether CEO Jeffrey Lurie would seek change at the top.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts, who threw a career-high 15 interceptions in 2023, did not answer directly when asked if he wanted Sirianni back for another season following the Tampa loss. “I didn’t know he used to be going any place,” Hurts said.
When asked what his confidence level is in Sirianni to fix the team, Hurts said: “I’ve a ton of self belief in everybody on this construction. It’s only a subject folks going in the market and taking part in blank soccer. This is one thing that we’ve got no longer performed.”
Yet the common theme from Hurts and others has been that the shortcomings fall on the entire team, not just one man.
“After all, yeah, I really like Nick,” mentioned heart Jason Kelce, when requested if he’d like to look Sirianni again. “I feel Nick’s a splendid lecturer, I in reality do. I feel he’s a splendid head lecturer. Clearly, no person used to be excellent plethora this date. I wasn’t, not one of the gamers, not one of the coaches have been excellent plethora ill the stretch. That’s the truth of this industry. Whilst you’re that sinful, it’s a collective factor. However I’ll at all times think about Nick Sirianni.”
