Could the Philadelphia Eagles already be eyeing Bill Belichick to replace head coach Nick Sirianni if the 2024 season were to go awry?
There’s talk that’s a definite possibility.
A few weeks ago, on January 13, Mike Florio of NBC Sports reported that there was “smoke” between the Eagles and legendary former New England Patriots coach. Belichick and the Patriots decided to part ways after a disastrous 4-13 season, while the Eagles decided to keep Sirianni, even after an epic late season collapse. After winning six Super Bowls during his tenure with the Pats, Belichick could return to coaching in 2024. or, he could wait until he finds an opportunity that suits him perfectly.
In a January 30 appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Felger & Mazz show, Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard shared the rumors he has been hearing about Belichick and the Eagles.
Greg Bedard: Eagles ‘Could Be at the Front of the Line’ for Bill Belichick if Nick Sirianni Slips Again
Publicly, the Cowboys haven't ruled out hiring Bill Belichick in the future. Privately, the Eagles apparently haven't, either. https://t.co/RAe7QW1MY1
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 31, 2024
“Probably the most interesting thing that I’ve heard — and this is just Senior Bowl rumor mill — is that the Eagles were very interested in Belichick if things didn’t work out with Nick Sirianni and they could be at the front of the line if things again go poorly for him (Sirianni) next year,” Bedard said.
When asked why Philly brought Sirianni back, Bedard said he believes the Eagles’ brass, including general manager Howie Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie, offered Sirianni a similar deal to the one offered to former head coach Doug Pederson.
“Doug Pederson was coming back until he had that postseason meeting with Howie and Jeffrey Lurie. And they wanted Doug Pederson to do certain things, fire certain people, and he wouldn’t do it, so he got fired. Apparently, Nick Sirianni was amenable to all that stuff so they decided for one more year that they’re gonna keep him.”
You can check out Bedard’s comments in the video below, courtesy of James Stewart.
Bill Belichick to the Eagles? @GregABedard @mikefelger @TonyMassarotti @bigjimmurray @ry_beaton @MaggioreKevin @985TheSportsHub @FelgerAndMazz pic.twitter.com/zKfwHrSLAz
— James Stewart ☝️ (@IAmJamesStewart) January 30, 2024
The Pressure Is on Nick Sirianni in 2024
There is no grey area. No excuses. No mulligans. Not a gap year or a bridge year. Not a rebuild, not a down season. The Eagles’ 2024 season is black and white. Nick Sirianni, Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio will fix the offense and defense or all three are fired in Jan 2025.
— State of the Eagles (@StateofEagles) January 28, 2024
In his three years leading the Eagles, Sirianni has an overall record of 34-17 during the regular season and a 2-3 mark in the playoffs. He led Philadelphia to the Super Bowl after the 2022 season, when the team went 14-3.
The Eagles were riding high this past season after getting off to a 10-1 start. It went downhill fast from there, as the team lost five of us last six regular season games before getting ousted in the first round of the playoffs.
Philly’s 32-9 beat down courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers resulted in a major coaching overhaul. Both offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and defensive coordinator Sean Desai were fired. Sirianni stayed on.
There have been no reports directly linking Belichick to the Eagles’ head coaching position, but sometimes, where there’s smoke there’s fire, and it’s clear Sirianni can’t afford a losing season — or another collapse. If Belichick, who turns 72 in April of 2024, is interested in returning to coaching — and he has given no indications he’s retiring — the Eagles seem like the perfect landing spot.
The team hired two powerhouse assistants in former Miami Dolphins DC Vic Fangio and former Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to replace Desai and Johnson, respectively. Thus, if improvements aren’t made, changes surely will be.
