He hired an overmatched offensive coordinator, watched his franchise quarterback regress, and did nothing to curtail the serial insubordination of A.J. Brown, then oversaw an offense that delivered the Eagles’ worst playoff loss in 22 years.
“At the end of the day, we didn’t do a good enough job,” Sirianni said, “and that starts with me.”
For the last two seasons, Brown frequently has criticized the passing game both in person and on social media. This came to a head when Brown called the offensive issues a “[expletive]-show” on Nov. 11.
Later that week, owner Jeffrey Lurie had to step in and muzzle the wide receiver. At practice. In public.
Some folks consider Sirianni to be a brilliant coach. Really? Do you think Andy Reid or Bill Belichick would have needed Clark Hunt or Robert Kraft to come to practice to muzzle Tyreek Hill or Randy Moss?
The enduring image of the offseason surely will be Sirianni, Patullo, and Hurts on the sideline during a timeout discussing the final play of the final drive on Sunday. As Patullo spoke to what appeared to be a befuddled and reluctant Hurts, Sirianni stood there, mostly silent, looking like a cross between a deer in headlights and a dog hearing a high-pitched whistle.
More and more, Sirianni seems less a coaching savant and more a dude who happens to be in the right place at the right time to take advantage of the best rosters in Eagles history.
Culture creatures
Since Lurie’s admonishment to Brown, and in violation of league rules, Brown has boycotted the media. That included Sunday’s game and Monday’s locker clean-out. As he did so often this season, he left his teammates to clean up his mess.
It was unprofessional — but then, unprofessionalism always has been an issue during Sirianni’s five-year tenure. He sets that tone and creates that culture.
When the Eagles won in Kansas City in 2023, he taunted Chiefs fans as he walked up the tunnel.
I like the Eagles and their coach but this might not turn out for them like they think it will in the end. pic.twitter.com/uRPwK5yMsp
When the Eagles beat the Browns at home in the middle of the 2024 season, Sirianni taunted Eagles fans as he left the field, then, incredibly, brought his three young children to what was certain to be a fractious postgame news conference.
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni appears to have some words towards the crowd as the clocked ticked down in the Philly victory. pic.twitter.com/XILkMvVamD
Sirianni issued an apology after that incident, but, two weeks ago, after the Eagles won in Buffalo, Sirianni taunted Bills fans as he walked up the tunnel — a taunt that drew a side-eye eye roll from Brown, who was walking beside him.
On Sunday, he charged down the sideline to hurry Brown off the field, then had a few choice words for Brown, who barked back at him, then, a few moments later, tried to get after Sirianni again.
Another look at the exchange between AJ Brown and HC Nick Sirianni on the sideline. pic.twitter.com/Syn0hr0MFK
This ended the lost season nicely, considering it began when defensive tackle Jalen Carter, having walked toward the Cowboys huddle to taunt a young lineman, then spat on Dak Prescott and was ejected.
It’s hard to blame the players. After all, why should they be expected to control themselves if their coach can’t control himself?
Focus
Left tackle Jordan Mailata, the team’s de facto spokesman and often the adult in the room, was asked both at midseason and after Sunday’s loss about the Eagles’ biggest issue. Each time, his answer was the same:
“Focus.”
Another clear measurable of a lack of discipline: penalties.
In 2024, the Eagles committed 103 penalties for 793 yards, 37 of them pre-snap penalties. In 2025, they committed 117 penalties for 1,073 yards, 42 of them pre-snap calls. Those are increases of 14%, 35%, and 14%, respectively.
This is a team that was expected to defend a Super Bowl title.
This was a disaster.
Sirianni’s disaster.
That’s why it’s amazing how little culpability has fallen at Sirianni’s feet.
Granted, Patullo didn’t take advantage of his first OC opportunity … but, after losing at home to the Bears in Game 13, Sirianni inserted himself into the game-planning process. After Sirianni’s insertion, the Eagles played three playoff teams. They averaged just 17 points.
Hurts, mired in self-preservation mode, ran the ball 33% less often this season than his previous three seasons and scored only eight rushing touchdowns after averaging 14 the three previous seasons. Patullo makes the calls, but the buck stops with Nick.
Brown dropped two passes in Sunday’s wild-card loss to the visiting 49ers and, during the regular season, too often seemed … indifferent? Disengaged?
“I have a special relationship with him,” Sirianni said after Sunday’s dustup.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown had a critical drop in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s NFC wild-card game.
If that’s true, then Sirianni needed to mobilize that connection, because Brown just had the worst of his four seasons as an Eagle.
There were other issues.
Saquon Barkley’s rushing total dropped from 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns to 1,140 yards (865 fewer yards), and seven touchdowns (six fewer scores). For context, only 21 backs gained at least 865 yards this season and/or scored more than six touchdowns.
The offensive line regressed, and while injuries to Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, and Cam Jurgens limited their performance and availability, the performance of their backups left much to be desired.
At any rate, now that it’s over and the distractions have faded, we can better assess Sirianni’s role in the lost season of 2025. The football world will zoom out to the “30,000-foot view,” as Sirianni likes to call his CEO style of coaching.
What they see will not be pretty.
None of this is irredeemable. Sirianni is still a newish head coach, only five years in, and, at 44, he’s a relatively young man.
It’s the first time he’s been in a situation dealing with overpaid divas who won him a Super Bowl.
Maybe, if he’s in this situation again, he’ll act the way a head coach should act.
The Eagles season ended early after a wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Now, it’s back to the drawing board. Here are some important offseason dates to know, from the Super Bowl to the start of next season.
Jan. 17 to Jan. 25: Divisional and championship round of NFL playoffs
The Eagles may be eliminated, but the playoffs will continue with the divisional round on Jan. 17-18, followed by the AFC and NFC championship games on Jan. 25.
Jan. 27: East-West Shrine Bowl game
One of the two major college football showcase games, the East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas features some of the top NFL draft prospects, and hosts scouts, coaches, and executives from all 32 NFL teams.
Jan. 31: Senior Bowl game
In addition to the Shrine Bowl, there’s the Senior Bowl, which also draws personnel from across the NFL to Mobile, Ala.
Since 2023, the NFL has hosted Pro Bowl Games, which features flag football and other skills contests instead of a traditional football game. This year, those games kick off on Feb. 3, and so far five Eagles have been named, almost entirely on the defensive side of the ball. Center Cam Jurgens is the lone offensive player, joining defensive tackle Jalen Carter, linebacker Zack Baun, and cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Injuries, players opting out, and Super Bowl restrictions could mean more Eagles players make it.
Feb. 8: Super Bowl LX
This year, the Super Bowl, the NFL’s 60th, will take place on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., the home of the 49ers. Bad Bunny is scheduled to be the halftime performer.
Feb. 17 to March 3: Franchise tag period
Teams can place the franchise tag on players starting Feb. 17 through 4 p.m. on March 3. The Eagles haven’t done this since placing a franchise tag on DeSean Jackson in 2012.
Eagles first-round pick Jihaad Campbell runs the 40-yard dash during last year’s scouting combine in Indianapolis.
Feb. 23 to March 2: NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Top draft prospects have their physical attributes tested, run drills, and conduct interviews with coaches, front office staff, and the media.
March 11: Free agency begins
Free agency begins on March 11 at 4 p.m. ET, the official start of the 2026 season. Teams can begin contract negotiations two days earlier on March 9. However, they may not sign until this day.
Will there be more discussion centered around banning the Tush Push? This is when those kind of topics will be discussed as owners meet up in Phoenix, Arizona.
April 20: Offseason workouts can begin
Teams with returning head coaches can start their optional workout programs. Meanwhile, teams that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2025 regular season can start offseason workouts on April 6.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell always gets a healthy dose of boos at the start of the draft.
April 23 to 25: NFL draft
The NFL draft will take place between April 23 to 25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Eagles enter the draft with eight picks: a first-round pick, a second-round pick, two third-round picks, two fourth-round picks, and two fifth-round picks.
May 1: Decision day for former first-rounders
Teams will have to decide whether to exercise their fifth-year option on 2023 first-round draft picks. Carter and Nolan Smith are Eagles players who have fifth-year options coming up.
After he draft, teams will host a three-day minicamp for rookies to welcome the players into the NFL. This year, they can choose between May 1-4 or May 8-11.
Mid-May: NFL schedule release
In May, the NFL will release the dates of each matchup for the 2026 season. Some game times may be changed throughout the season.
The Eagles will host several offseason workouts, including rookie minicamp following the draft.
Late May: OTAs
Last year, the Eagles hosted a number of optional workouts before mandatory minicamp. The workouts took place in late May and early June, beginning on May 27.
Early June: Mandatory minicamp
The team should hold a mandatory minicamp some time in June. Las year, the team hosted a one-day mandatory minicamp on June 10.
There’s no official date for the start of Eagles training camp. Last season, camp began on July 22 and the team hosted an open practice at Lincoln Financial Field on Aug. 10.
First week of August: NFL preseason begins
Teams will get their first taste of action in the first week of August with the start of the NFL preseason as they prepare for the next step of the 2026 season …
First week of September: Regular season begins
Although we won’t know who the team will be competing against until May, the Eagles will have a chance to start the season on a high note after an early playoff exit as defending Super Bowl champions.
A dramatic end to the Eagles’ campaign for a Super Bowl repeat could bring some dramatic changes to the team in the coming days, weeks, and months.
But less than 24 hours after the 23-19 wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Jalen Hurts said he wasn’t ready to declare whether he hoped to see offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo return for a second season.
“It’s too soon to think about that,” Hurts said Monday afternoon during the Eagles’ locker cleanout. “I put my trust in Howie [Roseman], Nick [Sirianni], and Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie.”
The offense’s shortcomings, fresh off the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning season, reflected poorly on Patullo, the 44-year-old, first-time offensive coordinator. He had a wealth of talent at his disposal on the most expensive offense in the league that returned 10 of 11 starters from the championship run.
Yet the group underperformed and often collapsed in the second halves of games, the latest example coming Sunday night against the 49ers. The offense finished the regular season ranked No. 19 in the league in scoring, No. 24 in total yards, and No. 13 in expected points added per play, which measures the average points added by the offense on each play.
The Eagles fared worse in each category compared to last season. Still, Hurts said that any discussion about impending changes to the Eagles’ offensive coaching staff or personnel would not occur in his parting meeting with team officials on Monday.
“No, I’d speak more so on just having a home base of what we do, who we are, and obviously we really made an effort to establish an identity along the way,” Hurts said. “Ultimately, it was a bit too late. Always got a lot of confidence when we step out on that field with this group, with this team. It just wasn’t our turn this time around.”
Hurts used “home base” as another way to say “identity,” something that the Eagles struggled to establish throughout the season. He said the team needed to find its “comfort zone of where you lay your head,” the go-to concepts that the Eagles could execute at a high level, no matter the caliber of defense they faced.
Where is the Eagles’ home base going forward? Hurts said the team has time to figure it out. Ultimately, though, the quarterback emphasized that he just wants to win.
Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and quarterback Jalen Hurts never seemed to get into a rhythm this season.
“You play the game to play for championships and put yourself in those opportunities to win championships,” Hurts said. “And so, obviously, that starts with having cohesiveness and great sequencing and having a flow where everyone’s on the same page and going out there and doing that.”
Hurts is no stranger to change. He has had six offensive play-callers in his NFL career, including Doug Pederson, Sirianni, Shane Steichen, Brian Johnson, Kellen Moore, and now Patullo. In the aftermath of Johnson’s 2024 firing, Hurts said that he longed for continuity at the position.
But he acknowledged Monday that he has embraced the revolving door of offensive coordinators and translated those changes into postseason appearances. After all, the Eagles won a Super Bowl in Moore’s lone year as the offensive coordinator.
“The changes have not prevented us from having an opportunity to go on championship runs, and so with all the changes and with all the things that have gone and have changed over time, we still found ourselves in the playoffs, and we still found ourselves in positions to be in the tournament and play in the tournament,” Hurts said. “I don’t like the trend of wild-card [loss], big-time [Super Bowl appearance], wild-card [loss], big-time [Super Bowl win], and wild-card [loss]. … So competitively as a quarterback, as a leader, that’s a big focus of mine, trying to break that.”
Hurts will look to return the Eagles to their winning ways next season, when he embarks upon his sixth year as the full-time starting quarterback. Given his track record and his importance to the team, he said he has a degree of influence in important matters concerning the offense.
“I think overall, my line is always open, and so however involved or whatever level inquiry I am, I’ll definitely be available,” Hurts said.
Those important matters include the roster. While 10 of the 11 starters on offense are under contract for next season (tight end Dallas Goedert is a pending unrestricted free agent), Roseman may opt to make some changes to its core.
Could A.J. Brown’s future in Philadelphia come into question? The 28-year-old receiver is under contract through 2029. He had expressed his dissatisfaction with the offense earlier in the season, but he has not spoken publicly since the Dec. 8 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Hurts did not directly answer a question about whether he wants Brown back in 2026.
Jalen Hurts says that he and wide receiver A.J. Brown are in a “great place.”
“A. J. and I will talk,” Hurts said. “We’re in a good, great place.”
Many of the team’s prospective changes are out of his hands. Repeatedly, Hurts acknowledged that he must focus on the details within his control, especially his own performance. While he seeks a “home base” for the offense, he said he has never run away from the growth that comes with embracing the responsibilities he finds uncomfortable as a quarterback.
With the extra time that comes with an abrupt playoff exit, Hurts said he will do a “deep dive” on how he can improve as a player and as a leader before the Eagles restart once more next season.
“Obviously, every year is different,” Hurts said. “Changes are inevitable in a number of ways, but my focus is on growth. My focus is on improvement, and my focus is on embracing the challenges that come with where I am in my career.”
Nakobe Dean feels like questions about his durability have been hanging over his head like a “black cloud” since the 2022 NFL draft.
The linebacker out of Georgia, drafted 83rd overall by the Eagles that year, played 39 of a possible 39 college games, but concerns about a pectoral injury he suffered while training for the scouting combine helped cause his slide on draft weekend.
“The two injuries didn’t help me, but you got guys going through free agency who didn’t play this year who have had multiple injuries,” Dean said Monday as the Eagles cleaned out their lockers a day after their 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. “It’s just a looming thing over me.”
That is what Dean is carrying with him into free agency, a recent injury history that will likely impact his market. A Lisfranc injury that required surgery cut short his 2023 season after five games. Then, Dean suffered a torn left patellar tendon injury in the first round of the playoffs last year. The injury and rehabilitation caused him to miss the first five games of this season.
Dean, to his credit, looked like he didn’t miss a beat. He supplanted rookie Jihaad Campbell in the starting lineup by Week 8 and provided a big boost to the Eagles defense. He became one of the most productive blitzing linebackers this season and was solid in coverage. He had four sacks in 10 regular-season games after having three sacks in 15 games last season.
But Dean’s future with the Eagles is unclear. Campbell was drafted in the first round last spring and played well before Dean returned. The Eagles said they liked Campbell’s versatility to play both linebacker and line up at edge rusher when they drafted him, but he spent most of the season and played his best as an off-ball linebacker. In theory, there would be room to bring Dean back if Campbell was going to transition to the edge full time, but that doesn’t necessarily seem like the most likely path forward, and it remains to be seen what kind of value Dean may be able to find on the open market.
Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean made an impact when healthy this season.
The Eagles, who have more than $20 million in salary-cap space for 2026, have decisions to make.
Dean, 25, said he talked to Howie Roseman on Monday but did not get an indication on his immediate future with the Eagles.
“Rightfully so,” Dean said. “The season just ended. He didn’t expect the season to end yesterday. So, rightfully so, everybody has to get away from ball for a little bit, take a couple deep breaths, and decisions will be made then.”
Asked what Roseman’s message to him was, Dean said: “My impact has not gone unnoticed and he just expressed appreciation of me.”
Dean, of course, wants to stay with the team that drafted him and a lot of his Georgia friends.
“I think everybody knows I want to be in Philly,” he said. “I don’t want to go anywhere.”
Jaelan Phillips proved to be a difference-making midseason addition to the Eagles defense.
Phillips says he has what he needs with Eagles
Like Dean, Jaelan Phillips is hitting free agency for the first time.
Unlike with Dean, the Eagles don’t have a clear answer to slot in for Phillips if he were to depart for another team, making him a much more likely candidate to return to the Eagles.
Phillips made an immediate impact after the Eagles acquired him before the trade deadline from Miami for a third-round pick. He tallied 44 pressures and two sacks in nine games, including Sunday’s playoff game, according to Pro Football Focus, while playing 78% of the defensive snaps. That’s a lot of production to try to replace.
Phillips is one of the team’s five free-agent edge rushers. The Eagles have just two edge rushers under contract for 2026: Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith. The draft will be a place the Eagles likely look to add talent to the room, but they could use a top-end talent like Phillips at the top of the depth chart.
Phillips, 26, said he felt he fit in well with the defense. He had familiarity with Vic Fangio from their time together in Miami. Phillips is excited about his future, he said, and for his first experience with free agency.
“I would love to have that future be here,” he said. “It’s up to my agent and ultimately up to me, too. This is my first experience with it, so I’m not really sure how it plays out. We’ll see.”
Phillips said he has a child on the way and his family’s future will be a consideration in free agency, but the other things he wants he already has in Philadelphia.
“I want to be on a competitive team and in an environment where I love the guys I’m around and love the organization I’m playing for,” he said. “I feel that here. So we’ll see.”
Eagles safeties Drew Mukuba and Sydney Brown pull down Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens.
Mukuba updates his injury timeline
Rookie safety Drew Mukuba was in the locker room Monday sporting a walking boot on his right foot. Mukuba fractured his fibula near the end of the Eagles’ Week 12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Mukuba said he should be out of the boot soon but did not have a firm timeline on the next steps in his recovery. He’s hoping to be ready for spring workouts, but said “late summer” was also a possibility.
He had a lot to complain about early after the injury. He couldn’t walk and had trouble getting comfortable, which led to some sleepless nights.
Mukuba said “I wasn’t where I needed to be” when the season started, but he was more comfortable as the season wore on.
“I feel like I kind of got over the hump after the first time we played the Giants,” Mukuba said. “Once I got over that, I feel like I was just stacking days.
“I hate that [the injury] happened, but that’s the game and I can’t control it.”
The Eagles might have been disappointed, but deep down, they likely weren’t surprised. The team that showed up in a 23-19 Wild Card loss to the San Francisco 49ers was the version of the team the Eagles had been for most of the 2025 season. Good enough on defense, yet woefully ineffective on offense. Instead of rebooting repeat Super Bowl dreams, the Eagles’ matchup with the 49ers marked the fitting end to a frustrating season. From an inconsistent quarterback to an inexperienced playcaller who too often was overmatched, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Dave Murphy sort through the factors that contributed to the Eagles’ early playoff exit, and quickly shift their focus to potential changes looming in the offseason.
00:00 The Eagles were who they knew they were all along
02:17 Intel about Kevin Patullo’s future
09:23 Jalen Hurts’ shortcomings exposed
20:17 What should the Eagles do with A.J. Brown?
26:25 More on A.J. Brown and potential replacement options
34:01 Other stay / go considerations
37:34 Will Lane Johnson retire?
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the offseason, including breaking news updates and reactions.
With less than a minute remaining in Sunday’s game against the 49ers, with the Eagles down 23-19 and their back-to-back Super Bowl aspirations on the line, fans crowded together in McGillin’s Olde Ale House erupted into E-A-G-L-E-S chants as a way to keep hope alive.
Unfortunately, Jalen Hurts was sacked and threw three straight incompletions to end their playoff run early. The Birds’ journey had ended, and with it, the hopes of the region.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown is unable to make the catch as 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir defends during the second half Sunday.
Brandon LaSalata, 24, made the drive from Richmond, Va., to watch Sunday’s wild-card matchup surrounded by Eagles fans.
“I don’t know what happened,” LaSalata said. “We need to get rid of Kevin Patullo. I think that hopefully next year we’ll be a better playoff contender. We should have gotten through this round. I don’t know what happened. I’m very upset.”
On the other side of the pub, 27-year-old Lancaster native Dominic Polidoro sat with his head hanging low in defeat.
“I feel pretty deflated,” Polidoro said. “This team was probably the most talented team in the league. It’s really disappointing to see them fall short. We had higher hopes.”
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni speaks during a news conference after the loss.
Somber morning commute for Eagles fans
On Monday morning, the air in Center City was dry, stiff, and unforgiving. And so were the Eagles fans cussing out their favorite team after the season-ending loss.
“I don’t mind losing, but give me an effort. A.J. Brown has to get traded. [Nick] Sirianni has to get fired. Offensive coordinator, fired,” said 73-year-old North Philadelphian Rodney Yatt. “And then we’ll go from there.”
Sunday’s game was marred by incomplete passes, a sideline argument between Sirianni and star wide receiver Brown, and, according to fans, tough calls from referees.
Clay Marsh, 35, of Manayunk, doesn’t think a loss falls to one player.
“I don’t think it was A.J.’s fault,” Marsh said. He saw the offense as disjointed and questioned offensive coordinator Patullo’s strategy, which Marsh said was an overreliance on “running it up the middle” with Saquon Barkley.
“Even if we won, it felt like we were going to go into Chicago and probably get spanked anyway,” Marsh said. “Maybe we saved ourselves some real embarrassment.”
Patullo has been at the center of fans’ ire, not only after last night’s loss but throughout the season. That agita hit a new low when someone egged Patullo’s family home in November after a 24-15 loss to the Chicago Bears.
The latest Patullo roasting comes in the form of a Bucks County golf simulator that allows players to drive balls directly into a digital fairway featuring Patullo’s face. The Golf Place co-owners Justin Hepler and Killian Lennon shared a video of themselves relieving theirfrustrations and honing their swings.
West Philadelphian James Booker, 49, said the small mistakes in the game added up to the loss. He pointed to Brown’s dropped passes and a missed extra point by kicker Jake Elliottthat could have brought the Birds into tie-game territory later on.
Despite the hard loss, Booker doesn’t think Sirianni should be canned.
“You can’t just say you want to up and fire him, even though fans like to do that a lot — Sirianni got us to this point,” Booker said. “I only hope for a better season next year.”
Reporters spent more than an hour inside the Eagles’ locker room at the NovaCare Complex on Monday afternoon before the team closed the doors to media for the day.
During that span, A.J. Brown was not seen in the room. The wide receiver’s locker had not been cleaned out, but Brown was not made available to talk to reporters. He declined to be interviewed after the game Sunday and left the locker room shortly after it opened to the media.
It was an interesting year for Brown with the Eagles. The receiver wasn’t shy about his feelings on the direction of the offense, especially early in the season. He expressed himself in the form of cryptic social media posts and postgame interviews, like when he pleaded for the Eagles to “let their killers do their thing” after a Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Brown finished the season with 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns.
A.J. Brown’s happiness within the offense and his relationship with Jalen Hurts were subject to scrutiny throughout the season.
What happens next with Brown will certainly be the subject of much speculation in the coming days and weeks and even months. Brown remains under contract through the 2029 season and has $113 million remaining on his deal. Trading him would be costly for the Eagles, who would be on the hook for $43.5 million in dead salary cap space if they traded him before June 1, according to Spotrac.
Waiting until after June 1 would free up $7 million in cap space. But any trade of Brown would have the Eagles taking on the fourth-largest single-season dead cap hit in NFL history, according to Spotrac.
Brown’s relationship with Jalen Hurts also has been the subject of speculation.
“A.J. and I will talk,” Hurts said Monday. “We’re in a good, great place. Maybe y’all can talk to him and ask.”
Immediately following the Eagles’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers, a somber feeling started to take over the Golf Place. Those gathered at the Bucks County golf simulator facility to watch the Eagles while working on their swings began to pack up and go home, and co-owners Justin Hepler and Killian Lennon began to close up shop.
But in a brief moment, an idea was developed to help Birds fans release their anger after a disappointing loss: letting them hit golf balls at offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s face — or at least an image of it.
Earlier in the season, some fans broke the law by egging Patullo’s Moorestown home after the Eagles’ Black Friday loss to the Bears. The Golf Place’s idea keeps the flying objects far from the real Patullo, and within legal bounds.
“It was a fun way to let off some steam, but also make it fun for everybody involved,” Hepler, 24, said. “And obviously Killian in the video is a diehard Eagles fan, so he was pretty upset. But, everybody in here has gotten a kick out it.”
The Golf Place, located in Langhorne, has been open for a brief two-and-a-half months but is now getting more attention after the video of Lennon, 29, went viral overnight, accumulating over 200,000 views on social media and over 10,000 likes.
“We knew it had some potential because this was eight minutes after the game ended,” Hepler said. “So we thought it was pretty hilarious.”
So why the face of the first-year coordinator? To them, the answer is simple.
“No one’s happy with the offense this year, obviously,” Hepler said. “I’m sure you can see all the Eagles fans that related to it. You can see all the comments saying, ‘This could have been recorded any month of the year.’ We could have had this for not just a today type of deal.”
The Eagles offense took a major step back under first-year coordinator Kevin Patullo.
As of Monday afternoon, one person had already entered the store asking to take them up on their offer of hitting golf balls at Patullo. They said all fans are welcomed to request the same thing.
And although Hepler isn’t an Eagles fan, he knows there’s a glaring change that needs to be made by the team this offseason.
“Fire Patullo,” Hepler said. “That’s the answer for them. I mean, that’s what everyone says. That’s what Killian’s first response was, and I think that’s the overall message.”
The Eagles’ road to repeating as Super Bowl champions ended abruptly Sunday with a 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field. Following their early exit in the playoffs, most of the national discussion centered around who’s to blame and potential offseason changes surrounding the Eagles coaching staff — and A.J. Brown, after his sideline spat with Nick Sirianni and several key drops.
Here’s what they’re saying about the Birds following their wild-card loss to the Niners …
‘That was a total embarrassment’
The Eagles offense came up short — again — continuing the theme of this year’s inconsistent unit. Despite a strong first-half performance, Kevin Patullo’s group was more conservative in the second half and mustered just a pair of Jake Elliott field goals.
The regression of the Birds offense has been a main topic of discussion throughout the season. So, for ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, it wasn’t surprising to see the team’s downfall on Sunday night.
“That was a total embarrassment from Philly, offensively,” Orlovsky said Monday on Get Up. “And we all saw it coming. We talked about it all season long. The fact that they didn’t see it coming is concerning. Yes, there’s going to be changes. But, Howie Roseman, their general manager, has got to be sitting back going, ‘Wait, wait, wait, wait, this is a roster that I put together that should no question have contended for another Super Bowl.’ …
“We all saw this embarrassing performance coming and it still happened. And it was allowed to happen.”
On X, Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback, also broke down the Eagles’ final drive Sunday night, posting the video with a one-word caption: “Ugly.”
To former NFL quarterback Cam Newton, Sunday’s performance revealed all the flaws the Birds “tried to mask” throughout the season.
“The Philadelphia Eagles were who we thought they were,” said Newton on First Take. “And yesterday’s performance was a microcosm of that. We’ve seen insufficient play. We’ve seen ups and downs and the downs and the ups. … What we’ve seen is nothing new. They tried to mask it. They tried to put lip balm. They tried to put eyeliner. They tried to put mascara on it and they tried to challenge the status quo of you’ve been doing this all year.”
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown can’t pull in a deep pass from Jalen Hurts during the second quarter. He dropped several passes in the loss.
Will the Eagles trade A.J. Brown?
The most action Brown saw all night was when the broadcast caught Nick Sirianni yelling at him on the sideline. The receiver recorded three receptions for 25 yards; he missed a potentially big first-half reception and had a costly third-down drop later in the game. After the loss, Brown didn’t speak to media.
Former tight end Shannon Sharpe believes it’s time for the Eagles to move on.
“Me, personally, I think it’s the best if the Eagles just go their separate ways,” Sharpe told Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson on the Nightcap podcast. “He needs to go somewhere where he feels like he’s going to get — he’s looking at it, Ocho, like I need to be getting the Puka Nacua type targets.”
Former NFL safety Ryan Clark also believes Brown won’t be in Philly next season.
“A.J. Brown is getting traded,” Clark said on ESPN’s First Take. “He wants out and they need to want him out. That relationship is over. That relationship is done and part of it is the Philadelphia Eagles, but a lot of it is on A.J. Brown. … A.J. Brown this year was more problems than he was worth.”
If the Eagles do move on from Brown, however, it might not happen until later in the year. According to Spotrac, trading him before June 1 would cost the Birds a fortune.
“If the Eagles were to bite the bullet and trade Brown early this offseason,” Michael Ginnitti writes, “they’d be taking on the 4th largest single season dead cap hit in NFL history (and making a heck of a lot more financial trouble for themselves as well).”
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles scored a pair of touchdowns in the first half, but settled for just two field goals in the second.
‘Jalen Hurts is holding them back’
Although most of the finger pointing has been directed at Patullo, former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy said a lot of the Eagles offensive struggles could be because of the team’s starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts.
“Jalen Hurts, I need you to be special, make plays,” McCoy said on The Speakeasy show. “I did a lot of digging, man, and I won’t throw them under the bus here. But I know some people, right. And the problem is, we can’t do different exotic looks, different formations, different motions because I’m hearing that [Hurts] can’t really do it. So, we get to a game like this, we got to have it. We’re playing against the Niners. They’re with their second unit. …
“I look at the quarterback, like, if we have all these special players, Hall of Fame-type running back, Hall of Fame-type wide receiver, top three dual wide receivers with A.J. [Brown] and [DeVonta Smith] and a really solid tight end with Dallas [Goedert] and we can’t move the ball? … We got to make some big decisions next year.”
"Jalen Hurts, I need you to be special…If Brock Purdy had [the Eagles] weapons, we win this game by at least ten points…"
– @CutonDime25 CLEARLY upset about his Eagles losing to the 49ers
“They certainly could be more creative on the offensive side and we know that. But, Jalen Hurts is holding them back in that department,” Chris Simms, a longtime Hurts detractor, said on Pro Football Talk Live. “I know these things. He doesn’t want the offense expanded, to a degree. So, that kind of handcuffs them a little bit.
“And then, when you’re an offense, you can’t go to do advanced geometry when you brought up a minute ago that you can watch the film and go here’s a basic play and the guy’s open and he doesn’t throw it. That doesn’t give the coaches the confidence to go, ‘Let’s go deeper into the playbook.’”
Nick Sirianni lost a home playoff game for the first time Sunday.
‘There’s enough blame for everybody’
Former Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner believes Sunday’s loss was a team effort.
“There’s enough blame for everybody,” he said on The Seth Joyner Show. “Wide receivers dropping balls, not catching balls, not giving maximum effort. Players on the defensive side standing around not necessarily ready. … They got out-coached, out-played, and they got out-willed today.”
The Eagles got out-coached, out-played, and out-willed today…
However, another former Eagles linebacker, Emmanuel Acho, narrowed it down to three individuals he would like to blame for the loss — and perhaps there’s no surprise that it’s Brown, Patullo, and Hurts.
“A.J. Brown given how talented you are and how much dust you kicked up throughout the course of the season, you have to show up in the biggest moments,” Acho on The Speakeasy talk show. “So, A.J, first person I’m looking at is you because you’re capable. Second person I’m looking at is Kevin Patullo.
“And then lastly, Jalen Hurts. I just need you to be more special. … So, really if I’m going to look at three people: A.J. Brown, got to look at you in the eye. Kevin Patullo, got to look at you in the eye. Jalen Hurts, got to look at you in the eye. Those are the three people that start with the blame.”
"The Eagles offense was INCOMPETENT!"
– @EmmanuelAcho DESTROYS the Philadelphia Eagles following their loss to the San Francisco 49ers
Free agent Jaelen Phillips hopes to return to Eagles
Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips, left, was acquired by Howie Roseman at the trade deadline.
Like Nakobe Dean, Jaelan Phillips is hitting free agency for the first time.
Unlike with Dean, the Eagles don’t have a clear answer to slot in for Phillips if he were to depart for another team, making Phillips a much more likely candidate to return to the Eagles.
Phillips made an immediate impact after the Eagles acquired him before the trade deadline from Miami for a third-round pick. He tallied 44 pressures and two sacks in nine games, including Sunday’s playoff game, according to Pro Football Focus, while playing 78% of the defensive snaps. That’s a lot of production to try to replace.
Phillips is one of five free-agent edge rushers. The Eagles have just two edge rushers under contract for 2026: Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith. The draft will be a place the Eagles likely look to add talent to the room, but they could use a top-end talent like Phillips at the top of the depth chart.
Phillips, 26, said he felt like he fit in well with the defense. He had familiarity with Vic Fangio from their time in Miami together. Phillips is excited for his future, he said, and for his first experience with free agency.
“I would love to have that future be here,” he said. “It’s up to my agent and ultimately up to me, too. This is my first experience with it, so I’m not really sure how it plays out. We’ll see.”
Phillips said he has a child on the way and his family’s future will be a consideration in free agency, but the other things he wants he already has in Philadelphia.
“I want to be on a competitive team and in an environment where I love the guys I’m around and love the organization I’m playing for,” he said. “I feel that here. So we’ll see.”
A.J. Brown hasn’t spoken with reporters in more than a month.
Reporters spent more than an hour inside the Eagles’ locker room at the NovaCare Complex Monday afternoon before the Eagles closed the doors to media for the day.
During that span, A.J. Brown was not seen in the room. His locker hadn’t yet been cleaned out, but Brown was not going to be made available to talk to reporters. He declined to be interviewed after the game on Sunday and left the locker room shortly after it opened to media.
It was an interesting year for Brown with the Eagles. The receiver wasn’t shy about his feelings on the direction of the offense, especially early in the season. He expressed himself both in the forms of cryptic social media posts and post-game interviews, like when he pleaded for the Eagles to “let their killers do their thing” after a Week 3 win over the Rams.
Brown finished the season with 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns.
What happens next with Brown will certainly be the subject of much speculation in the coming days and weeks and even months. Brown remains under contract through the 2029 season and has $113 million remaining on his deal. Trading him would be costly for the Eagles, who would be on the hook for $43.5 million in dead cap if they traded him before June 1, according to Spotrac.
Waiting until after June 1 would free up $7 million in cap space. But any trade of Brown would have the Eagles taking on the fourth-largest single-season dead cap hit in NFL history, according to Spotrac.
Brown’s relationship with Jalen Hurts also has been the subject of speculation.
“A.J. and I will talk,” Hurts said Monday. “We’re in a good, great place. Maybe y’all can talk to him and ask.”
Jalen Hurts is ready if Eagles change offensive coordinators (again)
Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is Jalen Hurts’ fourth offensive coordinator in the last four years.
Jalen Hurts is no stranger to change. He has had six different offensive play-callers in his NFL career, including Doug Pederson, Nick Sirianni, Shane Steichen, Brian Johnson, Kellen Moore, and now Kevin Patullo. In the aftermath of Johnson’s 2024 firing, Hurts said that he longed for continuity at the position.
But he acknowledged on Monday that he has embraced the revolving door of offensive coordinators and translated those changes into postseason appearances. After all, the Eagles won a Super Bowl in Moore’s lone year as the offensive coordinator.
“The changes have not prevented us from having an opportunity to go on championship runs, and so with all the changes and with all the things that have gone and have changed over time, we still found ourselves in the playoffs, and we still found ourselves in positions to be in the tournament and play in the tournament,” Hurts said. “I don’t like the trend of wild-card [loss], big-time [Super Bowl appearance], wild-card [loss], big-time [Super Bowl win], and wild-card [loss]. […] So competitively as a quarterback, as a leader, that’s a big focus of mine, trying to break that.”
Hurts will look to break that cycle next season, when he embarks upon his sixth year as the full-time starting quarterback. Given his track record and his importance to the team, he said he has a degree of influence in important matters concerning the offense.
“I think overall, my line is always open, and so however involved or whatever level inquiry I am, I’ll definitely be available,” Hurts said.
Jordan Mailata expects Lane Johnson to be back next season
Jordan Mailata said he is expecting Lane Johnson, who missed the last eight games with a foot injury, to be back next season. He added, “Whatever happens, happens.”
Mailata shed a little light on what Johnson was like behind the scenes the last couple months:
“Ultimate pro. I think what upsets him the most — I don’t want to put words in his mouth — but he does everything he can to be available. But it’s not even when he’s hurt. It’s just even when he’s starting, his routine is so meticulous. Every minute is planned out, from the moment he wakes up to the minute he goes to bed. And so I think, for him, it irks him a little more, you know?
“He’s just done a fantastic job of being there for us, even when he wasn’t playing, just being supportive of especially me and Fred [Johnson]. … He’s concerned about what Fred and I are doing, the timing of our hands, our set lines, what we’re thinking on first and second down. Are we more aggressive? Or he’ll watch something on film. He was still watching film for us. And he’ll come, like, ‘Hey, I saw that this guy, second step, he likes to do a little shake and bake inside. So that experience that we get from him being a total pro is very invaluable. And I’m gonna thank him for that.”
Eagles safeties Drew Mukuba and Sydney Brown chase down Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens.
Rookie safety Drew Mukuba was in the locker room Monday sporting a walking boot on his right foot. Mukuba fractured his fibula near the end of the Eagles’ Week 12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Mukuba said he should be out of the boot soon but did not have a firm timeline on the next steps in his recovery. He’s hoping to be ready for spring workouts, but said “late summer” was also a possibility.
“I’m walking, so I can’t complain,” he said.
He had a lot to complain about early after the injury. He couldn’t walk and had trouble getting comfortable, which led to some sleepless nights.
Mukuba said “I wasn’t where I needed to be” when the season first started, but he was more comfortable as the season wore on.
“I feel like I kind of got over the hump after the first time we played the Giants,” Mukuba said. “Once I got over that, I feel like I was just stacking days.
“I hate that [the injury] happened, but that’s the game and I can’t control it.”
Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean came on strong after missing the first five games of the season.
Nakobe Dean feels like questions about his durability have been hanging over his head like a “black cloud” since the 2022 NFL draft.
The linebacker out of Georgia, drafted 83rd overall by the Eagles that year, played 39 of a possible 39 college games, but concerns about a pectoral injury he suffered while training helped cause his slide on draft weekend.
“The two injuries didn’t help me, but you got guys going through free agency who didn’t play this year who have had multiple injuries,” Dean said Monday as the Eagles cleaned out their lockers a day after their 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. “It’s just a looming thing over me.”
That is what Dean is carrying with him into free agency, a recent injury history that will likely impact his market. A Lisfranc injury that required surgery cut his 2023 season short after five games. Then, Dean suffered a torn left patellar tendon injury in the first round of the playoffs last year. The injury and rehabilitation caused him to miss the first five games of this season.
Dean, to his credit, looked like he didn’t miss a beat. He supplanted rookie Jihaad Campbell in the starting lineup by Week 8 and provided a big boost to the Eagles’ defense. He became one of the most productive blitzing linebackers this season and was solid in coverage. He had four sacks in 10 regular season games after having three sacks in 15 games last season.
But Dean’s future with the Eagles is unclear. Campbell was drafted in the first round last season and played well before Dean returned. The Eagles said they liked Campbell’s versatility to play both linebacker and line up at edge rusher when they drafted him, but he spent most of the season and played his best as an off-ball linebacker. In theory, there would be room to bring Dean back if Campbell was going to transition to the edge full time, but that doesn’t necessarily seem like the most likely path forward, and it remains to be seen what kind of value Dean may be able to find on the open market.
The Eagles, who have more than $20 million in cap space for 2026, have decisions to make.
An Eagles fan hits a golf ball at an image of Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo at The Golf Place in Langhorne.
Immediately following the Eagles’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers, a somber feeling started to take over The Golf Place. Those gathered at the Bucks County golf simulator facility to watch the Eagles while working on their swings began to pack up and go home, and co-owners Justin Hepler and Killian Lennon began to close up shop.
But in a brief moment, an idea was developed to help Birds fans release their anger after a disappointing loss: letting them hit golf balls at offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s face — or at least an image of it.
Earlier in the season, some fans broke the law by egging Patullo’s Moorestown home after the Eagles’ Black Friday loss to the Bears. The Golf Place’s idea keeps the flying objects far from the real Patullo, and within legal bounds.
“It was a fun way to let off some steam, but also make it fun for everybody involved,” Hepler, 24, said. “And obviously Killian in the video is a diehard Eagles fan, so he was pretty upset. But, everybody in here has gotten a kick out it.”
Andrew Mukuba hopes to be back in time for spring workouts
#Eagles S Andrew Mukuba said he should be out of the boot soon after fracturing his fibula. Said he wouldn’t have been ready if the team reached the Super Bowl.
Questions surround the future of wide receiver A.J. Brown.
The most action wide receiver A.J. Brown saw Sunday night was when the broadcast caught Nick Sirianni yelling at him on the sideline.
The receiver recorded just three receptions for 25 yards; he missed a potentially big first-half reception and had a costly third-down drop later in the game. After the loss, Brown didn’t speak to media.
A pair of former NFL pass catchers — tight end Shannon Sharpe and wide receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson — believe it’s time for the Eagles to move on.
“Me, personally, I think it’s the best if the Eagles just go their separate ways,” Sharpe said on the Nightcap podcast. “He needs to go somewhere where he feels like he’s going to get — he’s looking at it, Ocho, like I need to be getting the Puka Nacua type targets.”
Former NFL safety Ryan Clark also believes Brown won’t be in Philly next season.
“A.J. Brown is getting traded,” Clark said on First Take Monday. “He wants out and they need to want him out. That relationship is over. That relationship is done and part of it is the Philadelphia Eagles, but a lot of it is on A.J. Brown. … A.J. Brown this year was more problems than he was worth.”
Trading Brown away will be tough due to his contract. According to Sportrac, the Eagles would take a $20 million cap hit if they traded Brown ahead of April’s draft and before June 1.
“If the Eagles were to bite the bullet and trade Brown early this offseason, they’d be taking on the 4th largest single season dead cap hit in NFL history (and making a heck of a lot more financial trouble for themselves as well),” Sportrac’s Michael Ginnitti wrote.
Jordan Davis on pending free agent Nakobe Dean: "I know he's going to be a great player for somebody, whether that's here or not." pic.twitter.com/GvZZRDhSNr
Which personnel groups will the Eagles target for upgrades?
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has a lot of work to do this offseason.
Where to begin? The Eagles still have a pretty solid roster, but they do have some flaws and are set to have a few holes.
They have no tight ends. They have no obvious answer yet for a Lane Johnson replacement. How long is Landon Dickerson going to hold up? They went heavy at offensive line toward the end of the draft last season, but they could very soon need top-end talent.
They are in the market for wide receiver help regardless of where the A.J. Brown saga leads them. They need edge rushers. They need cornerbacks. They might need a kicker.
A high-impact edge rusher, like Jaelan Phillips, should be high on the list of most important personnel groups to upgrade the talent level, and it will be interesting to see how the Eagles go about addressing tight end. They will obviously sign a few in free agency and could draft one. Could Dallas Goedert return?
There are a lot of unanswered questions right now. It’s that time of year.
The Johnson replacement is a tricky one, too. He is still very good when he’s on the field, but the clock is ticking. Just like it is for Dickerson, who has had multiple surgeries and has played through plenty of pain.
The one word Eagles players kept repeating after Sunday’s loss
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith walks off after losing to the 49ers Sunday.
The word that the Eagles kept repeating in the locker room after Sunday night’s loss was “execution.” The players should have executed better all season. “If there are multiple players saying that,” Jordan Mailata said, “why don’t you believe us?” Here’s why …
All elite athletes think this way: “It doesn’t matter what the coach calls. It doesn’t matter if my opponent knows what’s coming. If I do exactly what I’m supposed to do exactly when I’m supposed to do it, nothing can stop me, and nothing can stop us.”
Sounds great.
In reality, when everyone in the stadium knows you’re likely to call a particular play in a particular situation, you had better be perfect in every aspect of that sequence. But when you catch an opponent off guard, your execution can be less than ideal, and you’ll still succeed.
Look at the double-wing reverse pass that Kyle Shanahan called on the first play of the 4th quarter. He made the Eagles defense look like a bunch of suckers. Christian McCaffrey didn’t have a defender within 5 yards of him.
ESPN Adam Schefter: Eagles expected to replace Kevin Patullo
Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo ahead of Sunday’s wild-card game.
Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up Monday morning, NFL insider Adam Schefter said he expects the Eagles will replace offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo in at attempt to jump start the Birds’ lackluster offense.
“I think we start with the assistant coaches on the offensive side of the ball,” Schefter said. “So you’re looking at a new offense coordinator next year, that’s the expectation there across the league.”
“They’re going to go through some changes. I think it starts with the coaching staff on the offensive side,” Schefter added. “Question is how soon those changes will happen. Is it today or is it tomorrow?”
“Maybe Sirianni has built up enough clout to hold off Lurie/Roseman,” McLane wrote. “But precedent suggests the Eagles will move fast, and that they already have possible replacements lined up.”
Eagles have among the easiest strength of schedules in 2026
The long wait until next season begins for Eagles fans.
Despite facing the every team in the NFC West, the Eagles have one of the easiest schedules next season.
The collective winning percentage of the Eagles’ 17 2026 opponents in 2025 was 0.481, the tenth-weakest schedule in the NFL next season. The Chicago Bears have the toughest strength of schedule, facing teams with a 0.550 winning percentage.
That’s on paper, of course. As the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars showed, a lot can change from one season to the next.
The Birds will face a total of eight playoff teams, six of which are still alive in this year’s playoffs: San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Chicago Bears.
Despite finishing in first place in the NFC East, the Eagles’ two first-place opponents next season are teams that barely made the playoffs – the Carolina Panthers (7-9) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7).
The Birds are scheduled to play nine home games next season, which increases the likelihood we’ll see the Eagles in an international game. That could include a return to Brazil or hosting a game in Munich, Mexico City, or London.
Home games: Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Away games: Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears
Eagles cornerback Quinton Mitchell speaks to reporters at his locker Monday.
Eagles fans will get to see the players one final time before the skip town for the NFL offseason.
Birds players have begun to clear out their lockers and speak to reporters.
The Eagles are also required to hold a season-ending news conference at some point this week, which could include head coach Nick Sirianni, general manager Howie Roseman, or both. The Eagles have yet to announce when that will happen.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman at Sunday’s wild-card game.
The Eagles and their forward-looking fans will learn tonight where the Birds are picking in the draft order.
If the Steelers beat the Texans, the Eagles will pick 22nd. If the Texans beat the Steelers, the Eagles will pick 23rd (the Texans had a better regular season record than the Eagles).
It remains to be seen what position groups make the most sense for the Eagles to target. Free agency happens before the draft, of course. But the Eagles will be in the market for offensive line help as well as at edge rusher and potentially wide receiver (among others).
As of now, here are the Eagles’ picks in the 2026 draft, which will take place in Pittsburgh beginning April 23.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3 (from the New York Jets in the Haason Reddick trade)
According to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Graham said his 37-year-old body “responded well and he felt he was just getting into a groove down the stretch.”
Despite being on the field for just seven defensive plays (12% of the snaps), Graham still made his presence felt Sunday, mostly by trash-talking the entire 49ers team, including former Birds defender Bryce Huff.
Brandon Graham talking trash to all the Niners as they head to the locker room. He REALLY gave Bryce Huff the business. BG and Trent Williams shared a big hug. pic.twitter.com/cf9dDx7Gvl
Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is under fire following this season’s offensive struggles.
Kevin Patullo is as good as done. A.J. Brown’s future is murkier.
But whatever happens to the offensive coordinator and the team’s top receiver, some form of significant change is coming to the Eagles offense after a season of frustration ended fittingly with another bipolar performance on Sunday.
Patullo will be the easiest to cut off, not because he was solely responsible for the regression or even for the substandard play calling that doomed the Eagles in their 23-19 loss to the 49ers in the playoffs, just as it had throughout most of the 2025 regular season.
Most players, including tackle Jordan Mailata, publicly supported the first-year coordinator on Sunday. They pointed the finger at themselves and their execution, or lack thereof. But the powers-that-be, as Mailata noted, can’t just wipe out the bulk of the highest-paid offense in the NFL.
“It’s easier to blame somebody who gets paid less than your starting people, right?” Mailata said. “And everybody knows that. Everyone in this [bleeping] locker room — even you [reporters] know that. But the story makes better sense if we’re pointing to somebody else than not the players.”
Brown might seem the logical piece to move considering how his drops against San Francisco seemed indicative of an apathetic season by his standards. General manager Howie Roseman isn’t normally fond of trading Hall of Fame talent, and Brown’s contract may make it difficult to move the 28-year old.
But the Eagles will need to find ways to clear salary cap space with salaries for quarterback Jalen Hurts and others on offense increasing and young homegrown players on defense, including defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, slated for extensions.
Mike McDaniel was fired by the Dolphins after four seasons.
Lots of Eagles fans are calling on the team to replace offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo with recently-fired Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. But he may have a better job soon.
McDaniel is scheduled to interview with four teams about their head coaching vacancies, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero – the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, and Baltimore Ravens.
He’ll also sit down for an interview with the Detroit Lions about their vacant offensive coordinator position,” Pelissero reported.
McDaniel spent the past four seasons as the Dolphins’ head coach, and prior to that he was Kyle Shanahan’s offensive coordinator and run game coordinator in San Francisco.
Drake Maye won Sunday night in his playoff debut with the Patriots.
With one wild-card game left to play – tonight’s matchup between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers (8 p.m., ESPN/ABC) – the NFL announced part of next weekend’s divisional round playoff schedule.
While we know which teams will play which days, the NFL is waiting to announce the times and networks. Saturday’s games will take place at 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern, while Sunday’s game will happen at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Here’s what we know about the divisional round’s schedule:
Saturday
No. 6 Bills at No. 1 Broncos
No. 6 49ers at No. 1 Seahawks
Sunday
No. 5 Rams at No. 2 Bears
No. 5 Texans or No. 4 Steelers at No. 2 Patriots
Full 2025 NFL playoff schedule
Wild-card round: Saturday, Jan. 10, to Monday, Jan. 12
Divisional round: Saturday, Jan. 17, to Sunday, Jan. 18
“I just don’t think you can expect everyone to be super balanced and chill,” Brady said. “You’re a warrior, you’re a gladiator down on the field. Emotions are running high every single play.”
Fox NFL analyst and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan had a different perspective on the exchange.
“I don’t understand why Sirianni is running down there yelling at one of his star players,” Strahan said at halftime. “I don’t think that brings out the best in your player… In my opinion as a player, I wouldn’t have taken very well from my coach on the sideline.”
‘Just too basic’: Eagles’ final play draws criticism
In a season where the Eagles’ offense left a lot to be desired, the offense’s final play of the season is drawing criticism.
Facing fourth down and needing 11 yards, Jalen Hurts failed to connect with a triple-covered A.J. Brown, allowing the 49ers to run out the clock. But a second look at the play – dubbed “4 Verticals” – shows it had little chance to succeed, with receivers simply running down the field and the 49ers covering everyone.
Head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters the Eagles called a timeout before the final play and took a picture of how the 49ers defense lined up “to give ourselves some information.” Hurts said the 49ers didn’t change what they were doing.
“They played ‘Cover 4 structure’ and I just didn’t make the play,” Hurts told reporters following the game. “I own it. I own it all.”
“On 4th-and-11, we need your best play. All they did was say to the four guys out there, ‘Just run straight down the field,’” said NBC analyst and former Patriots defender Devin McCourty. “The 49ers… banged up and a bunch of guys just thrown in there together, they’re all over that play. Just too basic, and now who knows what the city of Philadelphia is going to do.”
On 94.1 WIP, former Eagles fullback turned sports talker Jon Ritchie said the Eagles ran exactly what the 49ers were expecting, and against that defense Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo had options to convert.
“Against quarters coverage, the flats are open,” Ritchie said. “It’s fourth and eleven. What are you doing?”
Dallas Goedert among Eagles set to become free agents
Dallas Goedert’s contact expires at the end of the season.
Did we just watch Dallas Goedert’s final game with the Eagles?
The Birds’ tight end, who scored two touchdowns in Sunday night’s loss to the San Francisco, is among a handful of players who are set to become free agents.
Here is a list of notable players whose contracts expire following this season:
Offense: WR Jahan Dotson, TE Kylen Granson, RG Matt Pryor, RB A.J. Dillon, RG Fred Johnson, LT Brett Toth, QB Sam Howell, TE Grant Calcaterra, LT Luke Felix-Fualalo
Defense: LB Azeez Ojulari, LB Joshua Uche, CB Adoree Jackson, LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, S Marcus Epps, LB Ben VanSumeren
