Generally, “Black Monday” is when the NFL sees most of its coaching turnover. Following the conclusion of the regular season, franchises quickly turn the page to the next year, doing so by letting go of certain coaches they feel held them back. But this year, Black Monday has turned into Black Tuesday, and it came a week late.
After the first round of the NFL Playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers saw head coach Mike Tomlin resign. On the same day, the Philadelphia Eagles canned offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Patullo had become public enemy No. 1 in The City of Brotherly Love, leading an offense that underperformed all season. Patullo had been groomed by head coach Nick Sirianni for seven years, following him from their days with the Indianapolis Colts beginning in 2018.
Sirianni and the front office knew they had to make a change, though. Patullo took the fall, but there’s clearly something sinister brewing in the Eagles’ locker room. On a handful of occasions throughout this season, star wide receiver A.J. Brown has gotten into it with Sirianni or others on the sidelines. That was seen on national TV during the Eagles’ postseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers. While Brown might be following Patullo on his way out of the organization, Sirianni’s influence over his team appears to be ripping apart at the seams.
Sirianni has always been a polarizing personality, as his confident nature has rubbed some the wrong way. No one in Philadelphia cared when he was leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl triumph. But only a year later, even with an 11-6 record, the shine is starting to wear off. If Sirianni isn’t respected by a high-profile player like Brown, there may be other figures in the locker room who feel the same way.
Is Nick Sirianni ruining his NFL career?
Former offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz and media personality Dave Dameshek recently discussed Sirianni’s tenure with the Eagles. Schwartz went so far as to say he doesn’t believe another NFL team would hire him as a head coach this offseason if he were to get fired.
He would certainly get interviews, but Sirianni’s antics on the sidelines and the way he’s handled his personnel raises eyebrows. The Eagles front office probably isn’t considering getting rid of Sirianni anyway.
Sirianni took over a 4-11-1 Eagles team and has guided them to five straight winning seasons. He’s made the Super Bowl twice in that span. Sure, he got plenty of help from GM Howie Roseman, but the head coach has a longer leash than many probably think.
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