Tim McManusJan 31, 2026, 05:00 AM
CloseTim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine’s Birds 24/7, a site he helped create, since 2010.
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The Philadelphia Eagles‘ offensive coordinator search revealed some critical truths about the state of affairs in South Philly.
What started as a mission targeting a pair of deeply experienced playcallers to replace a green Kevin Patullo ended with them hiring an even greener candidate in Sean Mannion, the former Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach who was an active player as recently as 2023.
Top choices Mike McDaniel and Brian Daboll opted for other roles. McDaniel did not formally interview for the gig and opted to become the OC for the Los Angeles Chargers while Daboll took the same job with the Tennessee Titans.
The narrative that built over the ensuing days was that the Eagles’ opening was not a desirable one. The better way to frame it is that there are complicating factors that require a specific fit.
There is a pressure-cooker feel to the role, as Patullo can attest, stemming from both inside the building and out. Three trips to the Super Bowl and two titles over a nine-year span have only intensified the already outsized levels of public expectation and media scrutiny.
Patullo was the focal point of fan angst as the offensive production failed to match the league’s largest payroll last season. His family home was vandalized in early December. Some offensive coordinator candidates even inquired about what happened to Patullo during the search, a league source said.
The standards are equally high internally. A culture has been established where a 4-0 start can feel like 0-4 and unaesthetic wins can be treated like losses.
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There are power dynamics to navigate. The Eagles have an engaged owner in Jeffrey Lurie, an entrenched and heavily involved general manager in Howie Roseman and an offensive-minded coach in Nick Sirianni who has a history of assuming greater authority over that side of the ball during downturns.
There is also an established quarterback in place in Jalen Hurts. He is highly accomplished but has a skill set that won’t mesh with every candidate and their desired system.
The job isn’t for everyone. It’s understandable if McDaniel had preferred to be paired with Justin Herbert and California, where his wife is from, or if Daboll wanted to team up with his friend and new coach of the Titans Robert Saleh and try to help develop 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward in a less demanding market.
It reflects well on the process that the Eagles didn’t look exclusively at experienced coaches after missing out on two of their top targets and instead conducted an expansive search that led them to Mannion, the former NFL QB who is considered a rising coaching star in league circles. Lurie has a proven track record of identifying off-the-radar coaches, such as Andy Reid and Sirianni, who eventually rose to the top of their profession.
The Eagles’ offensive coordinator post is a boom-or-bust proposition. Both Patullo and Brian Johnson were fired after one year, leading to what can be an arduous climb back up the coaching ranks. But when things go well, as they did for Shane Steichen and Kellen Moore, it’s a fast-track ticket to a head coaching job.
Mannion enters the fray at a bit of a volatile time. It’s not known whether two of the Eagles’ best players in tackle Lane Johnson and receiver A.J. Brown will return. Hurts took a step back last season, and his play was a source of frustration in some pockets of the organization.
The Eagles did add a coach with playcalling experience in pass game coordinator Josh Grizzard, who served as offensive coordinator for the Bucs last season. Before his time in Tampa he worked under McDaniel in Miami. By adding coaches with connections to the Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan trees, it’s clear the team brass wants to push the offense in a new, more modern direction.
Should the Eagles stumble in 2026, one can bet the QB and the head coach will both be feeling the heat and there will be calls to tear the whole thing down. It’s a lot to take on, all while learning the ins and outs of being a playcaller for the first time.
Welcome to Philadelphia, where the bounce of the roulette ball can lead to fortune or empty pockets. The Mannion hire signals that he and the Eagles believe he’s up for the joy(?) ride, and that they like his chances to come out on top.