The Philadelphia Eagles are hiring Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni to replace Doug Pederson as head coach, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The 39-year-old Sirianni spent the last three seasons in Indianapolis.
The Eagles fired Pederson after a disappointing 4-11-1 season. There was plenty of drama involving the quarterback position, with Carson Wentz ultimately getting benched and Jalen Hurts taking over.
Sirianni's first item on the agenda will be building a rapport with the disgruntled Wentz.
Pederson was fired in part because his relationship with Wentz took a big hit over the course of the 2020 season. Pederson also suggested to Eagles ownership he wanted more freedom to coach as he saw fit. Philadelphia decided to go in a different direction. Now, they have an established link between Wentz and his former quarterback coach.
Wentz's best season came in 2017, when he was an MVP candidate for the vast majority of the season before suffering a torn ACL in Week 14. His quarterbacks coach that year was Frank Reich, who eventually departed Philadelphia for Indianapolis the following season.
Sirianni served as OC under Reich for all three seasons in Indianapolis. The Colts ranked fifth in scoring in 2018, when Andrew Luck was still under center. Despite Luck's abrupt retirement in August 2019, Indy still managed to rank in the middle of the pack in scoring in 2019. The Colts ranked ninth in that category in 2020.
So, the Eagles have found a coach who knows Reich's philosophy and has a proven track record offensively. That's tremendous news for Wentz. Now, how will they supplement their quarterback at the skill positions?
General manager Howie Roseman has plenty of work to do in reshaping the receiving corps and also making upgrades on the offensive line. A challenging offseason awaits.
However, the Eagles can feel confident having found a new head coach.
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