Nick Sirianni's Gamble Could Loom Extra Large Based on Precedent

While your take might be a bit more reserved than Stephen A. Smith's, it's safe to say that the Philadelphia Eagles season ended in disappointment. After coming off a Super Bowl appearance, the NFC East club jumped out to a 10-1 start; another deep postseason run seemed like a guarantee.

But then the club went on an ugly slide, ending the regular season at 11-6. That cost Philly both the divisional crown and home-field advantage, which sent them south to Tampa Bay. In Florida, the slide continued. The Eagles lost an ugly 32-9 outing, bringing the season to a close.

In light of that disappointment, head coach Nick Sirianni may have found himself on the hot seat. And, while anything can happen during his end-of-year meeting with ownership, Eagles history suggests that his personnel gamble could loom large.

Sirianni's In-Season Change Flopped

Over the course of an NFL season, each head coach makes countless individual decisions. Most of those fly under the radar—we can't know every single game-plan-related choice—but some are large enough to become headline news. And Sirianni's defensive coordinator change fell into the latter category.

To recap, the Eagles started out 10-1 before suffering two big-time defeats to the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. After giving up 75 points in two games, the head coach decided to make a change.

Ahead of a Monday night matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, news broke that defensive coordinator Sean Desai was moving upstairs to the booth. Matt Patricia, despite his title of special defensive assistant, came downstairs and started calling the plays.

The head coach took responsibility for the move, saying that he made the decision and did what he needed to do to put the team in a position to win.

His gamble, however, didn't pay off. Philadelphia only won a single game after the change and surrendered 20, 35, 27 and 32 points in their defeats.

And beyond the fact that the Eagles season ended in disappointment, the decision to put Patricia in charge of the unit came under specific criticism. APhiladelphia Inquirer column, for example, said that the defensive assistant was allowed to commit coaching malpractice; an SB Nation post called the move an "all-time legendary screw-up."

Doug Pederson Lost His Job Over Personnel

Under most circumstances, Sirianni's defensive choice, combined with the way the Eagles collapsed down the stretch, would have him under the microscope. Some team history, however, could put him under a bit more pressure.

Let's flash back to 2021, when Philadelphia decided to part ways with head coach Doug Pederson. He had led the club to a Super Bowl title and was expected to remain in charge after a 4-11-1 season. Ultimately, though, the axe fell.

According to reports from the time, Pederson and owner Jeff Lurie differed on how to fill vacancies in the coaching staff.

"Pederson pushed for passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Press Taylor to be elevated to offensive coordinator rather than bringing in a more established candidate," ESPN's Tim McManus wrote in January 2021.

"The issue of how to fill the void left by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who plans to take the year off from football in 2021, also was unresolved."

"My first allegiance is what will be best for the Philadelphia Eagles and our fans for the next three, four, five years. It's not based on does someone deserve to hold their job or deserve to get fired; that's a different bar," Lurie said.

"It's not about, 'Did Doug deserve to be let go?' No, he did not deserve to be let go. That's not where I'm coming from, and that's not the bar in the evaluation process."

And while there's nothing to directly suggest that Sirianni will fight back against any potential plans from upstairs, the Pederson situation does still loom large.

Again, the head coach made a controversial move; he said it was his choice and that he felt it was in the best interest of the football team. It didn't work, and now he has a meeting with an owner who has thoughts about how his franchise should be run. Something will have to change on the defensive side of things.

Given that he made the in-season move and saw it blow up in his face, would Sirianni agree to having a future coordinator handed to him? Or will he continue to stand firm in his convictions in regard to who should be running the unit? Few things, after all, can be as motivating as a bruised ego.

And that's not even raising the topic of offensive coordinator. If Brian Johnson either takes another job or gets fired, how comfortable will Sirianni be with the new play-caller, especially given that he's an offense-minded head coach? Even if you're more of a CEO-style leader, there has to be a certain comfort level with the lieutenant running your offense.

Changes, no matter how they materialize, are a real possibility; late-season collapses, especially coming off an NFC title, are rarely written off as a bad break. And remember what the ESPN write-up said about Pederson's departure.

There were differences of opinion and unresolved issues about who should occupy the key positions on the coaching staff. Changes, by their very nature, will ask questions about who will fill those roles in 2024.

And, if the Pederson precedent holds firm, Sirianni will have a choice: he can work within the franchise's larger vision for the coordinator roles, or he can find a new job.

Remember, it's not about whether the coach "deserves" to be fired, it's about what's best for the Eagles. And that's where things could get tricky for the current bench boss.