The hot seat got even hotter for Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. The Eagles were unprepared and undisciplined in Sunday’s ugly 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They were down 21-0 at one point, and 24-7 at the half. Yes, the Birds were without wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and right tackle Lane Johnson, but this team just wasn’t ready to play.
The defense once again collapsed, quarterback Jalen Hurts continues to turn over the ball in the red zone, and an Eagles player thought it was a “savvy veteran move” to push an opponent into a punt returner, which caused a fumble and ensuing touchdown for the Bucs. Coming off last year’s end-of-season collapse, and with the way the Eagles have been playing to start 2024, Sirianni could be looking for a new job soon.
Here are four potential candidates to replace Sirianni if he’s fired.
Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach, was linked to the Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason when owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman were contemplating Sirianni’s future. The Eagles started out 10-1 in 2023, but finished 1-5 down the stretch and got blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 32-9, in the Wild Card.
ESPN previously reported that Roseman did talk with Belichick in the offseason, but it was more of a check-in rather than coming to work for the Eagles. A source told ESPN that Belichick would’ve been interested in the Eagles job at the time. Would he still want the job if it comes open after this season?
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Ben Johnson – Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was a popular name among coaching vacancies after last season. And it’s not surprising to see why. Johnson has turned the Lions’ offense into a powerhouse and revitalized quarterback Jared Goff’s career. He’s an offensive centric mind that owner Jeffrey Lurie would love running the Eagles. Johnson decided to stay with the Lions instead of taking a head coaching job, but the lure could be too much if the opportunity arises in Philadelphia. With quarterback Jalen Hurts seemingly regressing since 2022, bringing Johnson in could help right the ship with so much invested in the 26-year-old signal-caller.
Related: 2024 NFL Offense Rankings
Aaron Glenn – Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator
The Philadelphia Eagles’ defense has been a mess the last two seasons. They replaced Sean Desai with Matt Patricia last year during the free fall and things got even worse. Vic Fangio was brought in this season to change the mindset and culture, but things haven’t gotten much better. Nick Sirianni doesn’t do much on the defensive side, so maybe it’s time for the Eagles to have a defensive-minded head coach. And who better than Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn? He’s transformed the Lions into one of the better defensive teams in the league, and he had multiple head-coaching interviews after last season. He will surely be popular again after 2024, and if the Eagles decide it’s time to move on from Sirianni, Glenn should get a good look.
Related: 2024 NFL Defense Rankings
Shane Steichen – Indianapolis Colts Head Coach
This is the longest of long shots, but would the Eagles try to bring back their former offensive coordinator who helped lead Jalen Hurts to the best season of his career? The Indianapolis Colts snatched Shane Steichen from the Eagles’ staff after their Super Bowl 57 loss following the 2022 season. That season, Hurts finished second in MVP voting, as he threw for 22 touchdowns and rushed for another 13, becoming one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league. The offense also averaged a whopping 28 points per game.
In his first season as Colts’ head coach, Steichen helped lead them to a 9-8 record with a backup QB. They are 2-2 to start 2024.
The Colts most likely wouldn’t allow Steichen to leave for the Eagles, but maybe Lurie and Roseman will make a trade offer Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay can’t refuse.
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