Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo Finally Cost Eagles As Season Ends
The Philadelphia Eagles‘ season has come to an end in the most predictable way possible. The Eagles’ offense, which has looked inept for most of the season, collapsed in the second half of their Wild Card loss against the San Francisco 49ers. It finally cost them. Nick Sirianni insisted for months that the offense would figure it out. Unsurprisingly, they did not. This will inevitably cost OC Kevin Patullo his job and make this an interesting offseason for Sirianni.
Nick Sirianni’s Offense Ends Eagles Season
The Eagles’ season-ending loss looked almost identical to many of their games throughout the regular season. The offense showed flashes of creativity early on. Inevitably, they hit a cold streak, looking like one of the worst offenses in the league. The defense, while they didn’t play perfectly, did more than their fair share to win the game. In the second half alone, Quinyon Mitchell had two interceptions that set the Eagles up near midfield. The Eagles gained a combined 43 yards and three points on those two drives.
On top of that, the Eagles had another drive start at the 49ers 46 46-yard line due to a bad punt. The Eagles proceeded to gain 23 yards and three points. The drive ended on a 3rd and 13 quarterback draw, perfectly encapsulating the 2025 Eagles offense. That is a total of 66 yards and two field goals on drives starting near midfield. The Eagles are the most expensive offense in NFL history, and they were one of the NFL’s most pathetic units from start to finish all season. This falls directly on Nick Sirianni and his coaching staff.
Lack of Aggression Dooms Eagles
The previously mentioned 3rd and 13 draw is a perfect representation of the 2025 Eagles offense. The Eagles put themselves behind the sticks, forcing themselves into a 3rd and long. Instead of an aggressive play with two highly paid, Pro Bowl-level receivers, they opted for a draw, playing for a field goal. The lack of aggression is something the Eagles displayed all season, and predictably, it played a role in their demise.
Sirianni’s biggest emphasis all season has been on turnovers. It’s only fitting that the season ends with a game where the Eagles won the turnover battle 2-0. While Patullo is the one calling the plays, the offensive philosophy is something that comes directly from Sirianni. The philosophy all season was to protect the football even at the expense of a productive offense.
An offense featuring Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Hurts, Dallas Goedert, and multiple Pro Bowlers on the offensive line can’t excuse this kind of performance. The players absolutely bear some of the blame. Many players had uncharacteristic mistakes, including drops from Brown and Smith. The offensive line didn’t play up to its standard. Hurts and Barkley weren’t as effective as they were in 2024. But the coaches did not set them up for success at all, and that starts with Sirianni.
Inevitable Kevin Patullo Firing
With the offensive disappointment, Patullo no longer being the team’s offensive coordinator in 2026 feels inevitable. While Patullo certainly isn’t the only issue, he definitely has not been part of the solution. Patullo was in over his head from day one, and that falls on Sirianni. Elevating Patullo for that position when he clearly was not ready is the head coach’s responsibility. Rumors have already started to swirl about changes being made to the Eagles’ offensive coaching staff, with a focus on a proven offensive mind.
Given the success the Eagles have had with Vic Fangio on the defensive side of the ball, this should come as no surprise. In a perfect world, they would get an offensive coordinator with a low chance at becoming a head coach. Being able to keep him in Philadelphia for multiple years would help the revolving door of offensive coordinators the Eagles have had. The first name that comes to mind with this criteria is Frank Reich. Sirianni served as Reich’s offensive coordinator in Indianapolis, so there is history between the two. Reich also has a history in Philadelphia, as the team’s offensive coordinator in the 2017 Super Bowl. Another would be Doug Pederson, for similar reasons. Pederson also has familiarity with Hurts, as the head coach who drafted him in Philadelphia.
The name the Eagles should be most focused on, though, is former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Amid an up and down 2025, Monken was fired from Baltimore along with head coach John Harbaugh. Although this season was not great for Monken, he is a proven play caller in the NFL. He has shown with the Ravens specifically that he is able to operate an offense designed around the run game, with the quarterback as a large piece.
Beginning of the End for Nick Sirianni?
Sirianni is not going anywhere. He has proven he can be the coach of a Super Bowl team, and has had as much success in his first five years as any coach in NFL history. In the long run, though, it is possible to envision this as the beginning of the end for Sirianni in Philadelphia.
However, Sirianni is a head coach who doesn’t call offensive or defensive plays. This makes him very coordinator-reliant. The constant change in the coordinator positions is inevitable with Sirianni. His role in the team is culture and game management. Clearly, the team’s culture is not in a good place. The latest piece of evidence is Sirianni getting into a fight with his All-Pro receiver in the middle of a playoff game.
Sirianni’s game management has also been questionable at best this season. So when a coach doesn’t call plays, doesn’t have a strong culture, and his game management doesn’t give the Eagles an edge, what is he doing for the team?
If Sirianni and the Eagles part ways in the future, it could be easy to look back and recognize this Wild Card loss, and the 2025 season as a whole, as the beginning of the end for the Super Bowl champion coach. For now, the Eagles have a very interesting offseason looming, with inevitable change coming.
