Even though I am a Cowboys fan, I recently looked into the hiring of Nick Sirianni. Sirianni first jumped into the league when he was an offensive quality control coach in Kansas City. From there, he became a quarterbacks coach in San Diego, followed by an offensive coordinator stint in Indianapolis, and now the head coaching position in Philadelphia. The only other coach worth mentioning that he worked with is Frank Reich (yes, the one that you are thinking of), who worked with Sirianni in both San Diego and Indianapolis.
I am trying so hard to like the addition of Sirianni for the Eagles organization. He has a lot of upside; I mean let’s face it, during his time in Indianapolis, Sirianni was not exactly handed the cream of the crop in terms of players, but he still managed to configure an above average offense that, along with a lights-out run defense, carried the Colts to an 11-5 record and a playoff spot. Sirianni, at such a young age, has proven to be a solid offensive mastermind, so it is not a surprise as to why he was on the market and eventually hired by someone. Furthermore, along with on the field, I found in my research that Sirianni is a good man and is highly loved and respected off the field.
I don’t like the hire, however, and it has nothing to do with Sirianni and everything to do with the front office. The Eagles, and more specifically Jeffrey Lurie, could not make it more obvious that they want Carson Wentz starting under center, which is completely irresponsible and frankly childish as an owner. Trust me, as a Cowboys fan, watching the gradual downfall of Carson Wentz has been fun, but everyone knows Carson Wentz’s time in Philadelphia should have been finished after the 2020 season. However, Lurie’s emotional attachment to Wentz clearly makes it too hard to get rid of him. So, they hired a coach who worked with Frank Reich in a Hail Mary attempt to try to get back to 2017 Wentz. Add in the fact that Sirianni has no head coaching experience, so he will be forced to listen to front office management if he wants to keep his job.
No Eagles fan should be forced to sit through Sirianni’s attempt to try to get the last of Carson Wentz’s diminishing abilities as a quarterback. It is not good for the organization and it is not good for Wentz’s career. It would be very difficult to trade Wentz if he continues to not perform well, let alone the fact that a team would have to pay him 32 million dollars a year. I think that the Eagles should be all in on Jalen Hurts, who is still soft around the edges, and making it work with a solid offensive mind in Nick Sirianni, who I wish nothing but the best for.
I titled this article “if and when” because I believe that if and when Jeffrey Lurie stops leading this team by the power of his own emotions and faces the facts, that is when the Eagles will see significant strides with Sirianni.