Jalen Hurts, Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles are out to right the wrong of a disappointing 2023 season.
Apparently, that’s not the only thing the quarterback and head coach are trying to mend, as Hurts and Sirianni developed a “fractured relationship” and were miles apart on the “X’s and O’s” last season, according to an ESPN story that was published on Wednesday morning.
In 2022, the Eagles won the NFC East at 14-3 and went on to reach Super Bowl LVII before losing a nail-biter to the Kansas City Chiefs. That loss dragged into the 2023 season.
“Even when we were 10-1, everyone was walking around like their dog died,” a member of the Eagles told ESPN. “All year, instead of having fun playing, it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we lost the Super Bowl.'”
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In the aftermath of that Super Bowl loss, the Eagles lost both offensive coordinator Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts) and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals) to head-coaching jobs. Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, a longtime confidant of Hurts, and former Seattle Seahawks defensive assistant Sean Desai were named the team’s new coordinators.
The change in offensive coordinator may have been at the center of Hurts’ and Sirianni’s deteriorating relationship.
“When Brian got [promoted], I think he [Hurts] thought, ‘I could do the thing that I’ve wanted to do,'” a member of the Eagles said. “That didn’t fly as much with Nick.”
There’s reportedly a belief that Hurts “absolutely” tuned out Sirianni at varying points last season and that the two never had a “healthy relationship.”
Philadelphia began last season 10-1, atop the NFC, and then lost five of its last six regular-season games, followed by getting blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round, 32-9.
Of Philadelphia’s 10 regular-season wins, six came against teams that finished with a winning record. Of its six losses, three of them came against teams that finished with double-digit losses. Furthermore, the Eagles’ lone win in their last seven games (including postseason) came against the 6-11 New York Giants, on Christmas Day. The Giants then handled Philadelphia in the final week of the regular season.
Speaking of New York, perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the report is that Hurts sought out perspective from defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale — who the Giants parted ways with after the season — following the regular season finale on what he was seeing from Philadelphia’s offense.
“I’ve been doing this for 40 years, and it’s the first time I’ve had an opposing quarterback call me up,” Martindale told ESPN. “I thought it was pretty cool that the guy called. It shows you what kind of pro he really is. He’s just looking at every angle that he can to get better. … it was very effective, and he knew it, and he just wanted to know why we did certain things that we did. Then he went to work on that.”
Colin Cowherd on reported Nick Sirianni-Jalen Hurts tension
In a roughly half-hour call, Martindale told Hurts that the Eagles should’ve been more committed to the run, as opposed to frequently throwing on early downs.
While a Pro Bowler in each of the past two seasons, Hurts’ production considerably dropped from 2022 to 2023.
On the ground, Hurts was his prototypical self, rushing for 605 yards and 15 touchdowns. That said, he totaled 3,858 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, 15 interceptions and an 89.1 passer rating, while completing 65.4% of his passes. For perspective, Hurts threw nine fewer interceptions in 2022, with his passer rating being 12.4 points lower in 2023 and completing 1.1% fewer of his passes.
The report cited a “team source” claiming that Hurts was constantly trying to play “hero ball” last season in an effort to prove that he was worth the $255 million extension the franchise gave him in the offseason.
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Despite calls for his job, the Eagles retained Sirianni for a fourth season. That said, Philadelphia does have two new coordinators in former Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and former San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator and Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio. According to the report, Philadelphia hopes that Moore will “bridge the gap” between Hurts and Sirianni.
On the roster front, the Eagles lost six-time All-Pro center Jason Kelce and defensive tackle and six-time Pro Bowler Fletcher Cox to retirement. As for new recruits, they added running back and two-time Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley, linebacker Devin White and reunited with defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency, among other signings. In the draft, Philadelphia selected defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell (No. 22) and Cooper DeJean (No. 40).
Philadephia is a combined 34-17 in the regular season and 2-3 in the postseason under Sirianni. The interactions between Hurts and Sirianni have been “markedly more positive” this offseason, per the ESPN report.
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