After a search that lasted 16 days to find the replacement for Kevin Patullo, the Eagles on Thursday announced that 33-year-old Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion is their next offensive coordinator.
Mannion played mostly as a reserve for nine NFL seasons and was a player in the NFL just two seasons ago. He has been a coach for the previous two, and now has risen from first-year offensive assistant to first-year quarterbacks coach to first-year offensive coordinator with the Eagles.
Get the theme here? We’re talking numbers. And while Mannion hasn’t been a coach long enough to have too many data points to parse to infer much about what his hire means, there are at least some meaningful stats and numbers that could be meaningful.
Let’s have a look.
66.3%
That was Jordan Love’s completion percentage in 2025, Mannion’s first as quarterbacks coach. That was Love’s best mark in his three full seasons as a starter in the NFL. The 66.3% completion rate wasn’t the only high Love set in 2025. He also had his best season as a starter by passer rating (101.2, which ranked sixth among all NFL starters), and threw his lowest total of interceptions (six, down from 11 in each of his first two seasons as a starter).
Jordan Love had a strong 2025 despite a substandard performance against the Eagles.
All while the Packers dealt with a constant list of key injuries on offense.
What’s more, backup Malik Willis had an 85.7% completion rate in 35 attempts in relief of Love.
The NFL MVP race is between Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford, but Love was third in the NFL in pass EPA (expected points added) at +95.6, according to Next Gen Stats. EPA measures the average points added by the offense on each play.
Love had the same EPA per drop back as Stafford (+0.20).
Could more play action be in the cards for Jalen Hurts during the Sean Mannion era?
28.3%
Mannion has had a lot of influence in his years as a player and coach from some well-regarded offensive minds. How might he shape the way the Eagles’ offense looks moving forward?
Love’s numbers could offer some clues.
His play-action rate of 28.3%, for example, was fifth-highest in the league. Jalen Hurts ranked 23rd at 23.8%, according to Next Gen.
13%
Hurts threw more deep balls per attempt than any other quarterback, despite what you may think about the Eagles and their conservative nature. According to Next Gen, which counts a deep pass as a ball that travels 20 air yards, Hurts threw a deep ball on 13.2% of his throws.
Right behind him was Love, who went long on 13% of his passes.
Throwing them is one thing, completing them is another. Hurts rated 14th in deep ball completion rate (38.3%) while Love completed only slightly more (40.4%, 10th).
Look for Sean Mannion’s scheme to borrow heavily from those of Sean McVay (left) and Kyle Shanahan.
59%
Only four teams ran less motion before the snap than the Eagles’ rate of 44%. Green Bay, meanwhile, used motion on 59% of its offensive plays, which was the eighth-highest rate in the NFL.
Motion is a staple of the offenses run by Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, whose influences are all over Mannion’s past. McVay’s Rams were fourth in motion rate while Shanahan’s 49ers were third.
Of course, the best coaches find a way to use their players to fit their players’ strengths, but Mannion is likely to incorporate a lot of the things he’s learned along the way.
13,600
Here’s a bonus set of numbers that have nothing to do with Mannion’s coaching career but are worth mentioning anyway.
This first one is worth it because Mannion is a quarterback guy whose new job is largely about maximizing Hurts’ skill set.
Mannion may have thrown only 36 passes at the NFL level, but he was a prolific college quarterback at Oregon State, where he threw for 13,600 yards, a number that ranks 19th in FBS history.
1
Mannion had one career NFL touchdown pass, and it came in his final game, which was his third career start.
On Jan. 2, 2022, Mannion filled in for Kirk Cousins (COVID-19) in a Week 17 game vs., ironically, the Packers. In a 37-10 loss, Mannion completed 22 of 36 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. He rushed twice for 14 yards and was sacked twice.
K.J. Osborn caught Mannion’s touchdown pass, a 14-yard connection on the final play of the third quarter.
How’s that for a useless trivia answer?
.@KJ_Osborn made sure Sean Mannion got his first TD ball 💜
MOBILE, Ala. — Standing in the north end zone of Hancock Whitney Stadium on the University of South Alabama’s campus, Clint Hurtt, the Eagles defensive line coach, had the sun shining on him while decked out in a black Eagles T-shirt and black pants. Hurtt was the head coach of the National team at the 2026 Senior Bowl, and was responsible for planning, delegating, and monitoring the two-hour practice session.
For Hurtt, who has more than a decade of NFL coaching experience that included two seasons as the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator, the opportunity to run the show along with the hands-on experience leading a group of players are “things you can’t take for granted.”
“If you have aspirations to be a head coach one day, it’s a different circumstance in terms of getting practice schedules together for the players, for the coaches, the installation, all those things that happen throughout the day,” Hurtt said Thursday. “There’s things that you know that happen when you’re following the lead of the respective head coach that you work for, but to do it yourself, it’s a great experience to be a part of. And obviously you’re not doing it alone. The [other] coaches are obviously a big part of that, and they help out with that stuff.”
The focus is on helping build up and coach the next generation of NFL players this week, but Hurtt’s name has also circulated in coaching searches. He interviewed with the Miami Dolphins last weekend for their vacant defensive coordinator job under new head coach Jeff Hafley.
Hurtt, 47, didn’t delve into much detail but confirmed the interview “went well and the feedback I got was that it went really well.”
The preparation for his Senior Bowl assignment started well before Hurtt got boots on the ground in Mobile earlier this week. Hurtt, who played collegiately at Miami and began his coaching career shortly after, said his staff assembled from other NFL teams had meetings on Zoom to organize the daily practice and game day plans for the Senior Bowl. He leaned on Eagles running backs coach Jemal Singleton, the offensive coordinator for the National team this week, to help orchestrate the offensive plan.
From planning for two-minute drills to red-zone work throughout the week, Hurtt is shouldering more on-field scheduling responsibilities than he typically would with the Eagles.
Before coming to the Eagles, Clint Hurtt spent seven seasons with the Seahawks, including two as defensive coordinator.
“When you’re the head, you have to have answers for everybody, for all position groups,” Hurtt said. “[Having been] a coordinator, before being used to that, coaching linebackers and the secondary and things of that nature. So it’s been really good and enjoyable with these kids. And they’re all hungry for knowledge.”
One player benefiting from Hurtt’s coaching is Western Michigan edge rusher Nadame Tucker, one of the standouts of the week for the National team. Tucker, who spent his first three seasons at Houston before having a breakout season in 2025 with 21 tackles for losses and 14½ sacks for Western Michigan, said he “gravitated toward [Hurtt]” and appreciated his similar approach to football.
“I feel like coaching D-line, to get guys to listen to you, that’s how you should be, man,” Tucker said after practice Tuesday. “So he’s my great idea of a D-line coach. He’s a stern guy, a guy that’s going to pull the best out of the players and want the best out of his players. … I just keep working with him and learning from him and learning from all the [coaches].”
Hurtt is using this week to gain more exposure to coaching and the detailed nature of running practices, things he never experienced.
“When you want to go into a job interview to try to escalate, improve your career and move up the ladder, there’s things that you have to learn along the way. But it’s hard to do that if you don’t get exposure,” Hurtt said. “I always constantly self critique, every evening, try to sit back and say, ‘OK, what went well today? What I’ll continue to do, what things can we improve on?’ Always looking for critical feedback. And because I like the criticism, I’m always self-talking on what are the things that we can do to get better, where can I be better, to be better for the players and be better for the staff.”
Hurtt’s head coaching experience will come to an end on Saturday with the Senior Bowl game (2:30 p.m., NFL Network). But for now, he’s relishing this opportunity with the future NFL players who are soaking up knowledge from Hurtt and his coaching staff.
“Being passionate, you want the kids to feel your energy and where you’re coming from, because then they understand how you want things to be,” Hurtt said. “The coaches [are] obviously doing that, too. It’s a great energy from our defensive coaching staff and offense as well. But I want every coach to be authentically themselves, too. Don’t try to replicate anybody else that’s around you. Got to be you, because that’s what the players are going to respond to the best.”
Here are five things to know about the man who will be calling plays for the Birds next year:
He was a quarterback at Oregon State
Mannion played for the Beavers from 2011 to 2014, and still holds 18 Oregon State records, including most passing yards, passing touchdowns, and most completions in school history. He held the record for career passing yards in the Pac-12 with 13,600, until Washington State quarterback Luke Falk passed him in 2017.
After graduating, Mannion was drafted by the Rams in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft.
Sean Mannion played against the Packers before he was a member of their staff.
He’s played in the NFL
Mannion spent nine seasons with three NFL organizations: the Rams, Vikings and Seahawks.
He was a career backup, appearing in 14 NFL games, starting three of them, and throwing for 573 yards with one career touchdown pass (to K.J. Osborn) and three interceptions.
.@KJ_Osborn made sure Sean Mannion got his first TD ball 💜
Following the 2023 season, Mannion retired from playing and secured an interview to join the Bears’ coaching staff. He reached out to Matt LaFleur, who had coached him while he was a player, to ask him for advice on his interview.
“I jumped on a Zoom call with him in the second half and he showed me what he was going to present, and I told him, ‘Wow, that’s pretty good. I think you should come up to Green Bay right when you’re done with that interview,’” LaFleur told ESPN. “And I’m surprised that they let him out of the building. They tried to get him, but I guess we had more to offer. But we’re lucky to have him. I really do think this guy’s going to have a bright future for us and certainly in the coaching profession.”
Mannion was promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2025. Now, in 2026, he’ll be a first-time play-caller at age 33.
Sean Mannion was part of a staff that made consecutive playoff appearances in Green Bay.
His dad also coaches
Mannion’s father, John Mannion, is a longtime high school football coach. He has coached at Mountainside High School in Beaverton, Ore., since 2017, and in 2023 he was honored by the American Football Coaches Association with the Power of Influence Award.
John told ESPN that a 7-year-old Sean came along on a scouting trip to another school, and spent the entire game taking his own notes on a yellow notepad. When he was hired by the Packers, John, who’d kept the notepad ever since, gave it back to him as a gift.
He’s following Andy Reid’s path
The last time the Eagles hired the quarterbacks coach from Green Bay, that man was Andy Reid, who was head coach of the Eagles from 1999-2012. If it worked once…
The Eagles are hiring former Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion as their new offensive coordinator, the team announced on Thursday night.
Mannion, 33, played for nine NFL seasons as a quarterback, including three on practice squads, from 2015-23. He began his coaching career in 2024 as an offensive assistant with the Packers under head coach Matt LaFleur. Mannion quickly worked his way up the ranks, taking over as quarterbacks coach last season following the retirement of Tom Clements.
Mannion, who replaces Kevin Patullo, joins the Eagles as the fifth offensive coordinator of the Nick Sirianni era. While Mannion does not have any play-calling experience in his brief coaching career, he will take on that responsibility with the Eagles.
In a statement to the Eagles website, Sirianni said he was “thrilled” to add Mannion to the staff.
“My goal throughout this process was to operate with an open mind regarding the future of our offense to find the best fit for the Eagles,” Sirianni said. “Over the last few weeks, I had an opportunity to meet with a number of talented candidates and great offensive minds. I am appreciative of the time I was able to spend with each of them. Some came with years of experience running an offense and calling plays. Others were young, sharp, and dynamic coaches on the rise. I felt it was important to be patient and thorough to allow the right fit to reveal himself to us. Sean did just that.
“It was quickly apparent in meeting with Sean that he is a bright young coach with a tremendous future ahead of him in this league. I was impressed by his systematic views on offensive football and his strategic approach. Sean’s 11 years in the NFL have provided him a great opportunity to learn from and grow alongside some of the best coaches in the game. As a result, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be invaluable to our team moving forward. I can’t wait to see Sean with our team, and I want to welcome him and his wife, Megan, to the Eagles family.”
The hiring of Mannion comes after a two-week interview process to fill the vacancy left by Patullo, whose one-year stint as the offensive coordinator ended on Jan. 13. The Eagles reportedly interviewed more than a dozen candidates, with at least four of them landing second interviews, including Mannion, Jim Bob Cooter, Josh Grizzard, and Jerrod Johnson.
Sean Mannion (14) counted the Vikings among his playing stops.
Mannion began his NFL playing career when he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams as the No. 89 overall pick in the third round of the 2015 draft out of Oregon State. He also had playing stints with the Minnesota Vikings (2019-21 and 2023) and the Seattle Seahawks (2021-23).
In addition to working with LaFleur, Mannion has been coached by members of the Kyle Shanahan tree, including current NFL head coaches Sean McVay of the Rams, Kevin O’Connell of the Vikings, and Zac Taylor of the Bengals, among others.
Over the last two seasons in Green Bay, Mannion has worked with quarterbacks Jordan Love and Malik Willis. His development of Willis is particularly notable, as the 26-year-old quarterback went from being a disappointment with the Tennessee Titans to a more-than-capable backup and spot starter with the Packers. Willis went 30-for-35 for 422 yards (85.7%) and three touchdowns (no interceptions) in four games (one start) with the Packers in 2025.
Mannion will be tasked with refreshing an Eagles offense that floundered just one season removed from their Super Bowl win. With Patullo at the helm, the Eagles ranked 19th in the league in scoring, 24th in total yards, and 13th in expected points added per play, which measures the average points added by the offense on each play.
The addition of Mannion could particularly stand to benefit Jalen Hurts given the new offensive coordinator’s history playing the position. While Mannion started just three games in his NFL career (14 total appearances), he played in 47 games over four seasons at Oregon State and set nearly every school passing record. His 13,600 career passing yards rank in the top 20 in FBS history.
This isn’t the first time the Eagles have hired a former Packers quarterbacks coach to a prominent role on staff. In 1999, the Eagles tapped 40-year-old Packers quarterbacks coach Andy Reid as their head coach, a post he held for 14 years. Like Mannion, Reid did not have play-calling reps, although he had much more coaching experience.
It’s finally happening, Eagles fans. It took eight years, but ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series is set to relive one of the most memorable moments in Eagles history: the Philly Special.
ESPN released the official trailer for the documentary, which is appropriately set to Boyz II Men’s “Motownphilly.” The film, titled The Philly Special, was produced by NFL Films and directed by Angela Zender and Shannon Furman. It will debut on Feb. 6 at 9 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN app.
“Everybody loves the Rocky movies, but they were fiction,” Zender said in a release. “The amazing thing about The Philly Special is that it’s a real-life Rocky story. A group of five underdogs went up against the greatest dynasty in NFL history and pulled off an upset worthy of Hollywood. That underdog mentality is something that will resonate with people all over the country.”
The film features several familiar faces to Philly fans, including former head coach Doug Pederson and the four Eagles players who touched the ball on that play in Super Bowl LII: Jason Kelce, Corey Clement, Trey Burton, and Nick Foles.
But there are many others: owner Jeffrey Lurie, former safety Malcolm Jenkins, former coach Chip Kelly, and former offensive coordinator Frank Reich. Several local and national media members also appear, including Angelo Cataldi, Ray Didinger, Sal Paolantonio, and Kyle Brandt.
With all that Philly flavor, it’s no surprise one of the directors is a Birds supporter.
“I grew up an Eagles fan, so The Philly Special has been a dream project,” Furman said in a release. “It was surreal to stand in front of the statue of Doug Pederson and Nick Foles at the Linc with the five men who made one of the most iconic plays in NFL history happen. There’s no doubt fans will enjoy reliving the Eagles’ first Super Bowl as much as I did.”
While it’s been the better part of a decade since the play helped lead the 2017 Eagles past Tom Brady and the New England Patriots dynasty — capping an improbable run for Foles, who took over as the starter less than two months earlier — it’s not hard to find reminders around the Philadelphia area, from the statue outside Lincoln Financial Field to a multistory mural to the name of a holiday band featuring Kelce and a pair of current Eagles players.
“It’s been everywhere and on everything, transcending football to become part of Philadelphia’s cultural identity,” ESPN said in its release describing the film. “It’s not just a play; it’s a rallying cry for a city used to being overlooked. While Philadelphia might be the birthplace of America, the sixth-most populous city in the country lives and dies with an underdog mentality — one epitomized by the Founding Fathers, Rocky Balboa … and the Philly Special.”
Two days before Super Bowl LX, there will likely be a few more reminders, as fans across the area tune in to relive the play — and learn the story behind it — one more time.
On the latest episode of New Heights, Jason and Travis Kelce break down Championship Sunday and make their Super Bowl predictions.
The brothers welcomed Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, who spoke about his transition to television host after his NFL career and shared some personal anecdotes of his time with the Giants.
Strahan was quick to point out that Denver should have beat New England — and even Houston should have came up with a win over the Patriots in the divisional round two weeks ago, he said.
“[Denver] should have kicked that field goal and gone up,” Strahan added. “Early on, take the points — but I don’t get these coaches now because fourth down now is automatic go for it more than it’s not.
“I get analytics but you got to feel the team. You got to feel the situation. … I felt bad for Sean Payton — I talked to him before the game, very confident in what they were doing.”
Michael Strahan said Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton was “very confident in what they were doing,” ahead of their matchup against New England in the AFC Championship.
In the NFC Championship, Jason, Travis, and Strahan acknowledged the tough battle between the Rams and Seahawks, but were happy to see Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold get his opportunity on the big stage.
“I’m happy for Sam Darnold,” Strahan said. “I played in New York, it’s hard. He comes in here as the third overall pick, doesn’t go well, gets beat down; mentally, physically, and then five teams in eight years, and everyone thinks he’s washed.
“Why Seattle pay him all this money? Now you see why.”
Super Bowl predictions
When it comes to Super Bowl LX, there seemed to be a mutual consensus on a favorable winner.
While Travis Kelce can’t share his opinion since he’s still in the league, he said he’s looking forward to watching the matchup between Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
As for Jason Kelce and Strahan, they were in agreement: Seattle.
“I think Seattle has the edge,” Strahan said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a cakewalk — football’s not like the other sports, if you don’t show up with your best one day, it’s a wrap.”
Jason Kelce, however, did praise the Patriots’ defense, noting their not getting enough credit.
Strahan reflects on playing career
Strahan, who spent 15 seasons with the Giants, said his real challenge in the NFL came five years into his career, when Jon Runyan was traded from Tennessee to the Eagles.
“The whole thing was ‘We brought him to Philly to stop Strahan,’ which pissed me off,” Strahan said.
“I studied Jon Runyan probably more than I studied anybody. I could tell what he was going to do before he could do it.”
Michael Strahan gets blocked by former Eagle Jon Runyan on Jan. 1, 2001.
As the two went head-to-head throughout their careers, the tougher the matchup became: Runyan got savvier and Strahan studied more. But the two ended their careers as friends. Strahan even recalled how Runyan attended Strahan’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“Jon made me a better player, because playing against him made everyone else seem easy,” he said.
Life outside of the NFL
Strahan retired from the NFL in 2008 and quickly got involved with television and broadcasting. He’s appeared as a football analyst on Fox NFL Sunday,and served as a co-host of ABC‘s Good Morning America.
He shared some retirement advice on the podcast, including how to think about life after being a professional athlete, how he prepared himself for a new career, and when he knew it was time to walk away.
“I realized, for me, after 15 years, I had done everything,” Strahan said. “There was no way I was going to cry at the final press conference. I knew I had put everything I had into it.”
Six-time Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick didn’t get voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, according to a report from ESPN.
Citing four unidentified sources, ESPN reported Tuesday that Belichick didn’t receive the necessary 40 votes from the 50-person panel of media members and other Hall of Famers. ESPN said Belichick received a call from the Hall of Fame last Friday with the news.
The Hall of Fame declined to comment before its class of 2026 is announced at NFL Honors in San Francisco on Feb. 5.
The report of Belichick’s snub was met with significant criticism, including from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who posted on social media: “Insane … don’t even understand how this could be possible.”
Belichick was hired by New England in 2000 and led the franchise to six Super Bowl wins and three other appearances in the title game during an 18-year span from 2001-18. Belichick’s 333 wins in the regular season and playoffs with New England and Cleveland are the second most to Don Shula’s 347. He won AP NFL Coach of the Year three times.
Belichick also was one of the game’s top defensive assistants before taking over in New England, winning two earlier Super Bowls as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.
Belichick’s career did have blemishes. He was implicated in a sign-stealing scandal dubbed “Spygate” in the 2007 season and was fined $500,000 after the team was caught filming defensive signals from the New York Jets during a game.
Belichick’s tenure in New England ended following the 2023 season. He just finished his first year coaching in college at North Carolina.
Belichick was one of five finalists among coaches, contributors and senior players who last appeared in a game in 2000 or earlier. Patriots owner Robert Kraft was the contributor finalist, with Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and L.C. Greenwood the players.
Between one and three of those finalists will be inducted into the Hall along with between three and five modern-era players from a group of 15 finalists.
You’ve probably never heard of Eugène Sue, a French surgeon under Napoleon and later the writer credited with first use of the phrase, “La vengeance se mange très-bien froide.”
Loosely translated, it means, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” It has been uttered by characters as diverse as Vito Corleone in The Godfather novel, to Khan Noonien Singh, a Klingon warlord in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”
Now, in Bill Belichick’s hour of disappointment and shame, Philly can savor revenge.
Despite winning a record six Super Bowls, Belichick — whose era as Patriots coach coincided with two of the most notorious cheating schemes in NFL history — failed to secure the minimum 40 of 50 votes required to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He will not be a first-ballot inductee, according to an ESPN.com report Tuesday.
This shocked the sports world.
Former defensive lineman J.J. Watt, who never played for Belichick, said on Twitter/X that there is “not a single world whatsoever” in which Belichick shouldn’t be a first-ballot inductee.
I can’t be reading this right.
This has to be some knock-off Hall of Fame or something, it can’t be the actual NFL Hall of Fame.
There is not a single world whatsoever in which Bill Belichick should not be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer. https://t.co/OXhL1Sd4FM
Voters are not required to reveal their votes, but Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson said voters who do not admit to omitting Belichick from their ballot are “cowardly.”
Like so many, they were shocked. Like so many, they were outraged.
They should not have been.
Hall of Fame voters hate cheaters.
Carlos Beltrán, who helped run an illegal sign-stealing scheme for the Houston Astros, had to wait four years to gain entrance to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, and Roger Clemens, Herculean heroes all implicated in PED scandals, might never make it in.
I voted for all of those guys, and I’d have voted for Belichick, too, if I’d had a vote (the panel is a rotating hodgepodge of 50 mostly credible experts). But I understand. I understand why at least 10 voters banned Bill.
Why should Belichick, a proven and penalized two-time cheater, be treated any better than other scofflaw? He might not be Pete Rose, but he ain’t Bill Walsh, either.
Bill Belichick’s wins are a matter of record but some of his off-field tactics apparently gave voters pause.
The voters convened on Jan. 13 to discuss the fates of the Hall of Fame finalists, among them Belichick, whose 302 wins are a record in the Super Bowl era (30 of Don Shula’s 328 wins predate the Super Bowl). Reportedly amid the discussion: Belichick’s role in “Spygate,” an illegal videotaping scheme that Belichick conducted from 2000, the year he was hired as the Patriots’ head coach, through early 2007, when they were caught red-handed while taping the Jets’ sideline during a road game.
This incident came just over a year after the league issued a memorandum reminding teams of the parameters and definitions of illegal recording.
The penalty was a $500,000 fine for Belichick, a $250,000 fine for the Patriots, and the loss of their first-round pick in the 2008 draft.
But there was no way to secure reparations from the teams who had been cheated — possibly among them, the 2004 Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Thanks in part to the efforts of former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, it has since been established that the Patriots recorded opponents’ signs before and after that game.
It was a hot topic. How hot?
Shanin Specter, a Philadelphia attorney and the late senator’s son, told The Inquirer in 2021 that, in 2008, President Donald Trump — then a private citizen — appeared to offer Specter’s father a bribe if he would drop his investigation into Spygate.
The real ones didn’t need an investigation. They knew what was happening as it was happening.
In a story in 2018, former Eagles defensive backs coach Steve Spagnuolo told a Philadelphia radio station that, at Super Bowl XXXIX, Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson accused the Patriots of stealing the Eagles’ signs during the game. The Patriots seemed to know what was coming even when the Eagles employed rarely-used schemes and plays.
How did this specter of cheating arise so many years later?
The ESPN report indicated that Bill Polian, a Hall of Fame member as an NFL executive and a current voter, lobbied against Belichick during that Jan. 13 meeting. He cited the incidence of Belichick’s cheating, and he had skin in the game.
Polian was president and GM of the Colts when the Patriots, in the middle of their Spygate era, knocked them out of the playoffs after the 2003 and 2004 seasons. On Tuesday night, Polian denied to ESPN that he had told voters that Belichick should serve a one-year penance, but, incredibly — as in, not credibly — Polian said he was unable to recall if he’d voted for Belichick.
Polian wasn’t with Indianapolis after 2011, but he remained close to the franchise, so he wasn’t happy when the Colts were victims of Belichick’s other moment of ignominy.
At halftime of the 2014 AFC championship game in New England, NFL officials were alerted by Colts players that the footballs the Patriots were using seemed soft. The balls were examined, deemed to be illegal, and an investigation commenced.
That’s how Belichick and the Patriots were implicated in “Deflategate.” Eventually, they were found to have routinely, intentionally, and illegally deflated footballs they used on game days to make them easier to pass, catch, and hold on to. Furthermore, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was found to have destroyed evidence during the investigation. (Belichick denied knowledge of the matter, and the Wells Report into Deflategate found that Belichick was not involved, but many observers remain unconvinced).
This time the league fined the Patriots $1 million, suspended Brady for the first four games of the 2015 season, and took away the Patriots’ 2016 first-round pick and their 2017 fourth-round pick.
Bill Belichick will not join former Eagle Brian Dawkins in the Pro Football Hall of Fame … at least this year.
Today, most folks look past Belichick’s cheating, especially on Tuesday, when the story broke. They point at his innovation, his preparation, and his ability to maximize the abilities of every player, from Brady to Richard Seymour to Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski.
But just enough folks apparently did not. Just enough folks think Belichick should have to wait a bit before he gets his bust and his jacket.
Just enough folks did not look past Belichick’s sins.
Shula died in 2020, but somewhere, you have to think ol’ Don’s smiling. He despised Belichick’s methodology.
“The ‘Spygate’ thing has diminished what they’ve accomplished. You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments,“ Shula said in 2007, during the Patriots’ failed attempt to match his 1972 Dolphins’ perfect season.
Seven years later, when asked about Belichick’s feats to that point, Shula replied with the nickname Belichick’s detractors had given him: “Beli-Cheat?”
There’s a lot of anxiety in the ether these days about the Eagles, particularly about the fact that they haven’t hired an offensive coordinator yet to replace Kevin Patullo.
Just look at some of the candidates who have been scooped up elsewhere or who decided to stay where they were: Mike McDaniel, Brian Daboll, Joe Brady, Mike Kafka, and Charlie Weis Jr.
We can call this group the “Guys We’ve Heard Of” group, and they’re the biggest drivers of this collective worry that the Eagles will end up hiring some nincompoop who can’t call plays or, worse, calls the same kinds of plays Patullo did. I don’t know much about McDaniel other than he digs capri pants and tinted sunglasses. But I recognize his name, which means he must be smart, and the Eagles must be stupid for not hiring him.
Mike McDaniel (left) was a player high on the list of potential replacements for Kevin Patullo as offensive coordinator. Until he accepted the role with the Chargers.
Then there’s the “Guys I’m Googling” group. They’re the up-and-coming coordinators and quarterback coaches who aren’t as well known to the casual NFL follower but who aspire to become branches on the Sean McVay tree or the Kyle Shanahan tree or whatever metaphorical foliage the Eagles happen to prefer. The way the Eagles’ search is shaping up — the time they’re taking, the three still-vacant head coaching jobs around the league — they’re likely to settle on someone from this group.
Hiring such a candidate, one with relatively little experience and no discernible track record, could turn out to be a problem for the Eagles, who might end up with another play-caller who isn’t quite ready for the role. But it would be a boon for the team’s fans and media, who could start second-guessing and complaining about the guy as early as Week 1.
No matter who the Eagles bring on board, they would do well to take a big-picture factor into consideration when they make their choice. In the short term, sure, the new coordinator’s primary concerns will be centered on improving an offense that may or may not have A.J. Brown, may or may not have Lane Johnson, may or may not have a decent tight end or two, and could use a bounce-back season from Jalen Hurts. But in the longer term, they should be mindful that they’ve been part of a strategic shift across the NFL, and they should be prepared in case Roger Goodell and the league’s owners try to shift things back.
Here’s what I mean: During this regular season, the average NFL team passed for 209.7 yards a game. That figure represents the lowest such average since 2006. It has been two decades, in other words, since NFL passing offenses were as anemic (or as conservative, depending on how you want to look at it) as they were this season.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was among an NFL passing collective that accounted for an average of just 209.7 yards per game, the lowest since 2006.
Why? You don’t have to be Bill Walsh to figure it out. After years of franchises chasing franchise quarterbacks and brilliant scheme designers and elite wide receivers — and tight ends who could catch and run like wideouts — a funny thing started happening: Certain teams geared up to counteract their opponents’ dynamic passing games and to exploit smaller, faster defenses. That is, certain teams won championships because of their defenses and/or their run games.
The 2023 Kansas City Chiefs had Patrick Mahomes, yes, but they ranked 15th in scoring offense and second in scoring defense. The story of the 2024 Eagles is practically gospel around here: the dominance of Saquon Barkley and the offensive line, a stout defense overseen by Vic Fangio and built from the secondary in, the reality that the team didn’t want to and didn’t have to rely on Hurts’ arm to win.
Now we have the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. Drake Maye had a great second season, and Sam Darnold is a great story. But both the Patriots’ and Seahawks’ defenses finished among the league’s top four in fewest points allowed and among the top eight in fewest yards allowed.
Simply put, the passing game — the aspect of football that leads to high scores, general excitement, and the rise of the sport’s biggest celebrities and product-movers (i.e., star quarterbacks) — ain’t what it used to be. Hell, we were three points away from having a Super Bowl with Darnold and Jarrett Stidham as the starting QBs … not exactly an electrifying matchup of two all-time greats/household names.
Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham leaves the field after the team’s loss in the AFC championship against the New England Patriots.
For all the moaning that Sunday’s Patriots-Broncos game was boring and unwatchable because of the snow at Empower Stadium, for all the silly calls for holding conference-title games in domes from now on, the weather wasn’t what made it dull. What made it dull was that Maye played as if he was trying not to lose the game (sound familiar, Eagles fans?), and Stidham wasn’t capable of winning it.
The last time the NFL went through a stretch similar to this one was a quarter-century ago, when four consecutive Super Bowls were won by teams primarily defense-oriented: the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, the 2001 and 2003 Patriots, and the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Consider some of the quarterbacks, too, who were reaching those Super Bowls back then: Trent Dilfer, Kerry Collins, Brad Johnson, Rich Gannon, Jake Delhomme, and a rookie named Tom Brady.
Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick might have had Tom Brady for the Super Bowls he racked up, but he also boasted some good defenses as well.
In the aftermath of that ’03 Patriots run — Bill Belichick’s defensive backs manhandled the Indianapolis Colts’ receivers in the AFC title game — the NFL decided to crack down on illegal contact, defensive holding, and pass interference infractions. In 2003, NFL teams averaged 200.4 passing yards. In 2004, that average jumped by more than 10 yards, to 210.5, and it kept rising for years thereafter.
That surge has stopped. The game has slowed down, and it’s a safe bet that the NFL won’t allow it to stay this way for too much longer. The Eagles were among those applying the brakes, but the sport is poised to open up again, and they and their new man at the wheel, whoever he might be, need to be ready.
There were the usual favorites on both sides of the ball — as well as a few new faces — and a grizzled veteran that fans can’t seem to agree on.
Eagles fans want pending free agent linebacker Jaelan Phillips back next season, but they're split over veteran Brandon Graham, who came out of retirement last year.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Eagles have long-since been eliminated from Super Bowl contention, after their wild-card round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. But the conversations around what went wrong with the Birds last year are ongoing, as the team continues to search for a new offensive coordinator and prepares for what’s sure to be a busy offseason.
We asked you, our readers, which Eagles you want to see stay or leave the team for next season. Here’s what we found — and how some of those results compared to what beat writer Jeff McLane expects the team to do …
The Eagles’ All-Pro cornerback duo, Quinyon Mitchell (96.4%) and Cooper DeJean (96.1%), graded out the best of any Birds players. But they weren’t alone. Jordan Davis (96.1%) tied DeJean after a breakout year.
The best defense
It’s not just those two. Overall, 19 Eagles earned over 90% stay votes in this year’s poll, despite the early playoff exit — 12 of those players were on defense or special teams, including Zack Baun (95.8%), Jalyx Hunt (95.3%), and more.
On the offensive
There were fewer on offense — seven in total — who received at least 90% stay, including four offensive linemen: Lane Johnson (91.8%), Jordan Mailata (95.9%), Landon Dickerson (93.6%), and Cam Jurgens (91.2%).
Hurts remains popular
Quarterback Jalen Hurts (85.7%), however, was not one of them. That doesn’t mean he’s unpopular — he finished just a few percentage points shy of his Super Bowl MVP season (89.5%), and is not going anywhere.
Brown takes a hit
That’s nothing compared to the dip A.J. Brown (62.3%) saw. The wide receiver came in at 88.8% stay following last year’s Super Bowl run. But after a season wrought with controversy, where Brown looked like he may have taken a step back, fans have soured a bit on Brown.
Tight ends on the move?
Backup tight end Grant Calcaterra (36.8%) fell over 55 points from last season — down from 92.3% stay after 2024 — but fans still love Dallas Goedert (79.4%). However, Jeff McLane thinks both pending free agents will be wearing different colors next year.
Love ’em or hate ’em
Overall, the results on the offensive side paint an interesting picture, with no one player landing in the middle 20%, between 40-60% stay. Fans know what they want.
Special requests
That includes the team’s specialists. An overwhelming majority want punter Braden Mann (94.2%) back next season. The same can’t be said for veteran kicker Jake Elliott (23.2%), who saw the biggest year-over-year drop. McLane thinks the team will agree.
A difference of opinion
Franchise legend Brandon Graham (40.6%) un-retired midway through the 2025 season, and he said after the season that he felt he still had more in the tank. He was one of the most polarizing players in the poll, with a slight majority voting for him to go.
The kids are all right
Howie Roseman also had a good year, according to fans. The Eagles’ rookie class, headlined by Jihaad Campbell (95.6%) and Drew Mukuba (90.3%), graded out well after its first NFL season.
The new guys
The Birds traded for Jaelan Phillips (81.4%) at the trade deadline. While the move didn’t ultimately lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl, the pending free agent quickly became a fan favorite. Running back Tank Bigsby (94.7%) graded even better — and higher than Barkley.
Check out the full results
We’re done breaking it down for you. Let’s put the numbers directly at your fingertips — simply hover over or click on a player on the chart to see not only what percentage of stay votes they received, but also what McLane thinks will happen.
So what does the future hold for these players? The NFL’s new league year begins on March 11 — that’s when teams are permitted to execute trades and begin signing new players. Stay tuned.
