Deshaun Clayborne Media

PHILADELPHIA – Save yourself from heartbreak while you still can, Philly fans: Nicholas John Sirianni is an abomination of a football coach, and the Eagles’ Super Bowl window will continue to close as long as they keep allowing this man to be in command.

Now, I know you might be thinking, “How can you possibly say that when a 2^nd-year Sirianni led the Eagles to the Super Bowl 2 years ago?”

The answer to that question comes down to two main reasons: He was never that important to the Eagles’ success, and he was never the right person to pair up with quarterback Jalen Hurts.

When Sirianni was hired on January 21, 2021, owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman were clearly impressed with the vision that Sirianni brought to the table. After all, he was inheriting an offense and a quarterback that had been completely broken in the horrendous 2020 season; any coach taking that job would need an extensive plan to restore the team and culture.

Here’s the problem: This vision was based on the idea that Carson Wentz would be the quarterback of the future. When Wentz was traded to Indianapolis on February 18, 2021, this vision was killed.

Wentz and Hurts are two completely different types of players, and a vision designed around a big, strong-armed pocket passer isn’t going to translate well to a smaller QB whose biggest asset is his legs. Four seasons later, although Hurts has developed tremendously, Sirianni has still not figured out how to install a successful system around Hurts.

Do not get it twisted: Hurts’s massive success was not because of Sirianni.

That credit goes to then-offensive coordinator, Shane Steichen.

Ever since Steichen left to coach the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 offseason, Philadelphia’s offense has been a calamity, and Hurts leads the league in turnovers.

However, this is not the first time that the Eagles have been bad offensively when Steichen is not the leading voice.

In the 2021 season, Sirianni called offensive plays for the first seven games. The team was 2-5 in that stretch. After he handed the offense over to Steichen, Hurts and the offense took off, won seven out of their last ten games, finished 9-8, and earned a playoff spot.

After some improvements to the roster and an offseason to completely master Steichen’s system, Hurts’s effectiveness in the passing game took a massive leap, and the offense exploded the next season, finishing second in scoring offense and top five in many statistical categories in 2022.

Even though Sirianni was there overseeing it all, he is only 15-13 without Steichen running the show on offense, and they haven’t even looked close to the machine that this offense was with Sirianni having this much power over it.

Not only has the offense looked anemic more often than not under Sirianni, but the defense has been even worse. While I won’t pin the defense’s falloff on him, it still provides even more reasons for them to move on from him.

When the 2023 Miami Dolphins’ defense was stagnant due to key injuries, Mike McDaniel was able to keep the Dolphins afloat and in playoff contention because he’s an offensive head coach, and he makes sure that his side of the ball is taken care of.

Mike Tomlin has been able to keep the Steelers above .500 and in the playoffs for many years despite having lackluster offenses because he’s a defensive coach, and he always makes sure his side of the ball is taken care of.

That’s what you’re supposed to do as an NFL head coach: Even when the team trajectory looks bleak, you are supposed to patch the ship and steer it back in the right direction by taking care of your side of the football.

If you can’t command either side of the ball or fix major deficiencies, then what do you actually bring to the table?

This has been the question that has plagued Sirianni since the moment he gave up play calling duties in 2021. When the Eagles had success, nobody really cared about what Sirianni’s contributions to winning were because winning cures all.

But the 2023 season collapse and now the lackluster start to the 2024 season has proved that Sirianni’s biggest contribution to winning was the offensive coordinator that he brought with him. Once he departed, he failed to replace him, and the team tanked as a result.

Now, it is clearer than ever that unless the Eagles want to keep playing coordinator roulette to determine their success, Sirianni needs to go. Period.