Eagles reportedly fire defensive coordinator Sean Desai

Last updated: 2024/01/22 at 1:00 AM

BigP Published January 22, 2024

The first of several expected changes among the Eagles coaching staff has taken place. Philadelphia has let go of defensive coordinator Sean Desai after one season, per multiple reports. NFL Media first reported the decision.

Desai, hired from the Seahawks last year to replace now-Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, oversaw a decline in a unit that was one of the league’s best when Philadelphia reached the Super Bowl after the 2022 season.

Head coach Nick Sirianni replaced Desai as defensive play-caller with longtime Patriots assistant and former Lions head coach Matt Patricia in mid-December, but the move backfired as the Eagles defense only backslid further under Patricia. However, it implied that Desai was not long for Philadelphia, especially after the Eagles’ 1-5 finish to the regular season and 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round.

Desai is reportedly expected to be in the mix for other defensive coordinator jobs around the league. Sirianni’s fate, meanwhile, is still uncertain after he met with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie this past weekend.

FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano reported Tuesday that Desai and first-year offensive coordinator Brian Johnson would likely be fired if Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman decided to keep Sirianni as head coach. It’s also unlikely Patricia will return to the Eagles.

Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, who had the same role with the Eagles last season and was a popular figure in Philadelphia’s locker room, will likely be a candidate to succeed Desai after Sirianni endured internal criticism for not promoting Wilson to defensive coordinator last offseason, per Vacchiano.

Sirianni and Roseman have also reportedly reached out to Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale in recent days.

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