Well, this is a shocker! Not many people know the name Nick Sirianni, or his background. I’ll try my best to clear the air on him, as well as what this means for the Eagles, specifically the QB dilemma with Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts.
So Who is 39-year old Nick Sirianni? Well, Here’s Some Coaching Background of Him:
2009-2012: Various roles with the Kansas City Chiefs as an assistant under Todd Haley
2013-2017: Spent time on the San Diego Chargers as the quarterbacks coach, while Frank Reich was the Offensive Coordinator (2014 and 2015). He also spent time as the Chargers’ wide receivers Coach from 2014-2017.
2018-2020: Colts Offensive Coordinator under Frank Reich, who was previously the Eagles Offensive Coordinator.
Some might be thinking what makes him “The Guy” for Philly?
Well, from what I have seen about Sirianni, he lowers his quarterback’s turnovers, specifically interceptions, while improving their on-target throw percentage. That could help Carson Wentz significantly, considering he was 33rd in the NFL among Quarterbacks in that category. He has worked with various types of quarterbacks, such as Phillip Rivers, Jacoby Brissett, Andrew Luck, and Matt Cassel in Kansas City.
Sirianni also is clearly a favorite of Reich’s, who is someone Carson Wentz put a lot of faith and trust in. Most would presume Reich gave Sirianni some tips about Wentz prior to his departure to Philadelphia. Sirianni is regarded as a young, ascending offensive mind who can be a QB developer. He also is a coach that understands his personnel, and what the defense is showing (coverage-wise). One of the most eye-popping things to point out about Sirianni is that QBs under his coaching tend to post career-best sack rates. That means quick, precise, clear-cut decisions from the QB position, which was one of Carson Wentz’s biggest problems all season long this year.
What stood out about Sirianni for Philadelphia?
Some have dubbed Sirianni as the “steal of the hiring process” and “the best coach I have ever been around,” as well as a great leader of men. He’s also an extremely detailed coach that understands defenses, and how to attack certain coverages and blitzes. He’s a phenomenal gameplanner, a great listener, and a fiery leader. Considering he will likely be running some variation of Frank Reich’s offense, it should be fun to see how next season plays out for the Eagles offense.
Summary
Overall, the Eagles had to love what they got from Sirianni in the hiring process. Reportedly, they were telling candidates that they wanted to keep and “fix” Carson Wentz to get him back on that elite level of play from 2017-2019. They had previously interviewed Arthur Smith, Robert Saleh, Jerod Mayo, Joe Brady, Kellen Moore, Duce Staley, Todd Bowles, Dennis Allen, Josh McDaniels and Sirianni. They also had a request in to speak with Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, however an agreement was made to wait until after Sunday’s AFC Championship Game for a potential interview. Arthur Smith chose the Falcons, Robert Saleh signed with the Jets, and Duce Staley will likely return to Nick Sirianni’s staff at his previous assistant position of Running Backs Coach.
Photo Credit: Matt Kryger
