The Eagles will have new offensive and defensive coordinators in 2024. Not long after Sean Desai was fired, OC Brian Johnson is out as well. The latter has been let go, as noted by Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Derrick Gunn of JAKIB was first to report Johnson was unlikely to return. 
Both changes have been expected for some time now. The Eagles struggled on both sides of the ball during their nosedive to close out the campaign, although the team’s offense still managed to post strong numbers in a number of offensive categories. Philadelphia ranked eighth in yards per game and seventh in scoring, but those figures are insufficient for Johnson to receive a second year at the helm.
The 36-year-old represented a logical internal replacement candidate for Shane Steichen once the latter departed last offseason to take the Colts’ head coaching job. Johnson had spent the past two years as Philadelphia’s quarterbacks coach and developed a strong relationship with Jalen Hurts. As a result, it came as little surprise when Johnson was tapped as Steichen’s successor.
By the time Philadelphia’s wild-card matchup against the Buccaneers came around, however, a rift had emerged on offense amidst the Eagles’ overall struggles. Hurts regressed from his 2022 performance while playing through injury, and the team scored just nine points in a lopsided loss to Tampa Bay. Reports of signficant staffing changes quickly emerged, and it came as little surprise when Desai (who had already been stripped of play-calling duties) was dismissed on Sunday.
Head coach Nick Sirianni‘s job security was a talking point both before and after the wild-card loss, and his evaluation from ownership was dependent on a plan to replace both offensive and defensive coordinators for the second consecutive offseason. Sirianni appears to be safe, but the Eagles’ staff will be worth watching closely as the team likely prepares to look outside the organization to fill both the OC and DC positions.
As his fate in Philadelphia remained unsettled, Johnson took head coaching interviews with the Falcons and Titans. A meeting with the Panthers was originally scheduled, but Carolina is set to move in a different direction. While it seems unlikely Johnson will land a HC gig this year, his outside interest could allow him to land a new coaching opportunity in some capacity relatively soon. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s search for his replacement will be worth monitoring.
On that note, Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter had been named as a candidate to return to the Eagles as OC. However, McLane notes that Cooter is not expected to be a finalist to replace Johnson. In any case, Philadelphia’s 2024 staff is set to look much different than its 2023 iteration with Desai’s interim replacement (Matt Patricia) expected to depart. While that has left plenty of unanswered questions on the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles now have a signficant vacancy on offense as well.
That was one heck of a SB hangover! The porcelain god was calling the last 6 weeks of the month.
For the best, they needed experienced guys on both sides. I think Eric B on OC but if they get Rivera on Defense, I doubt they double up on the Washington guys.
Ron hasn’t had 1 good D in a decade. All those 1st rounders on DC’s roster they were typically ranked middle of the pack.
He didn’t call the defense though, Del Rio did. The last time and every time he’s been a DC, he’s been excellent at the job. Think of Jim Schwartz and the discrepancy between him as an HC and DC. The candidates they’re looking at does point to that they’re going back to the Jim Johnson style defense than the passive style they’ve been going with since Andy Reid got fired.
Then Ron should have fired Del Rio long beforehand. The HC has final say. Even in Carolina, he had 1 great season, Cam’s MVP season. That was it. He’s an old a re-re-retread. Find new blood. Try something new. Worse that can happen is the new guy doesn’t pan out. Ron is well past his prime.
And yet the bears only needed 1 of Washingtons dline men and look how their defense was turned around after the trade.
Think Rivera would be a great choice for dc. Some guys are just better coordinators than hc.
Schwartz Fangio come to mind
Offensively I think they should hire someone from the 49ers or Ravens staff that helped Purdy and Lamar get where they are.
Draft wise I think Philly needs to draft an Aj Brown replacement, in the sense that Philly has someone to replace Brown if/when injured and few years down the road possibly take over full time.
Brian Thomas Jr
Keon Coleman
Adonai Mitchell
I agree, but knowing Sean McDermot’s connection to Rivera, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him end up as DC or a consultant in Buffalo next year. Not sure how I feel about that as a Bills fan, but we’ll see.
Then Eagles can take Leslie Frazier as he is under contract with the Bills. He is just taking a year off.
Brandon Beane confirmed recently that Frazier is not under contract. Kind of slipped through the news cycles, but he has much more than a year off.
I wouldn’t write this guy completely off. He probably just didn’t fit with Hurts, and imo that’s more on the head coach understanding that. He should have found another OC like Steichen to work with him.
Same issue as Dorsey in Buffalo. Both were solid to great QB coaches but lacked game strategy skills.
Scapegoat # 2
Scapegoat # 3 will be Sirianni about week 11 of next season.
Yup. Hurts stinks and that contract will burn em. Outside of a 2 yard rush the dudes worth nothing.
If put in the right situation, he can play well. Unfortunately that system is gone, and it is possible that it is predictable and won’t even work anymore. Johnson seems like he kept some of the Steichen system in place, and it worked for the first half of the season. Then the 49ers destroyed them and they never recovered. 28 ppg through Week 12, 18 ppg from the 49ers game on (including the playoff loss).
When asked for a comment he said he was Thunderstruck
His next job will be doing dirty deeds done dirt cheap.
Except that’s more of a Bon
Scott reference.
It’s an ac/dc song that Brian Johnson has sang many times. Bands just don’t stop singing their best songs when they change singers.
Van Halen sang the same songs after switching from Roth to Hagar too.
True, and Sammy Hagar sang Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love many times. But if the coach was named Sammy Hagar, you wouldn’t reference that song.
Hey man, you still got the reference
finally I started panicking thinking never going to keep him around. I wanted Sirianni and everybody gone the OC and DC after this year they just quit at the end of the year but I said if I had to I would deal with Siri on it for one more year but he has to go out and get a proven office coordinator that has a lot of NFL experience called them please and it’s saying for a defensive coordinator.
Wut
Yeah I’m not sure you’re going to find too many office coordinators that have any experience at all in the NFL.
As a fall back option, JIM BOB COOTER can return to Hazzard County, GA and run COOTER’S GARAGE !!
“Just an opportunity to grow”Sick of Jalen Hurts words of wisdom!!
Johnson had healthy personnel on offense all year but basically couldn’t utilize them as effectively as Steichen. Play calling is not as easy as it seems.
A good coach doesn’t suddenly become bad because a team has a disappointing season. The best organizations value continuity and do not get caught up in this blame game mentality. Winning or losing in a league with as much parity as the NFL can be random. A team can be well coached and just get caught up in the randomness of the outcome of games.
Jim Bob Cooter ALL day EVERY day.