The Philadelphia Eagles are set for what feels like a pivotal campaign in 2026. After winning Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles labored through a drama-filled 2025 campaign that saw them crash out of the playoffs in the wild card round at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. That crushing defeat prompted head coach Nick Sirianni to make a slew of changes that will be on full display when the team takes the field on Sunday.
Perhaps one of the most important moves was made on his coaching staff, as Sean Mannion was brought in to replace Kevin Patullo as his offensive coordinator. Patullo was much maligned throughout his lone season running Philly’s offense, and now that he’s gone, it looks like Sirianni has decided to take a subtle shot at him when discussing why he decided to hire Mannion.
Nick Sirianni’s Sean Mannion Comments Viewed as Kevin Patullo Diss
After winning Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles watched their offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, go on to accept the New Orleans Saints‘ head coaching gig. That forced Sirianni to find a replacement, and Patullo ended up being the guy after he spent the past two years working as Philly’s pass game coordinator and associate head coach.
The offense under Patullo’s lead was a mess, though. Quarterback Jalen Hurts struggled to confidently push the ball downfield (much to the dismay of recently traded wide receiver A.J. Brown), and the running game struggled to get going all year long. Once the season ended, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see Patullo get relieved of his duties.
Mannion, a former NFL quarterback who spent last year working as the Green Bay Packers‘ quarterbacks coach, ended up being tabbed as his replacement, and all eyes will be on him to begin the new season. At this point, Mannion is a fairly inexperienced coach, but Sirianni revealed that there were a couple of things that convinced him to hire the former shot caller, with his comments coming off as a shot at Patullo for what he was unable to do in 2025.
“I wanted the guy who was so convicted about what he wanted to run, how he would go about installing it,” Sirianni said when asked why he hired Mannion on “PFF NFL Show,” seemingly implying that these were things Patullo did not do while with the team last season.
Eagles Have High Hopes for Sean Mannion-Led Offense in 2026
The Eagles’ offensive woes weren’t solely on Patullo’s shoulders last year, but it became clear throughout the year that he was not the right guy to lead this group. Mannion obviously has experience operating a huddle as a player, and Sirianni believes his conviction from what he saw on the field during his playing career will help him excel in this new role.
Brown is no longer in town, but Hurts will still be surrounded by star offensive weapons such as Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith moving forward. If Mannion can put all the pieces of the puzzle together, Philadelphia should be able to reemerge as a Super Bowl contender, and it will look to get off on the right foot by picking up a win over the Washington Commanders in Week 1.
Nick Sirianni Takes Subtle Shot at Former Eagles OC Kevin Patullo Ahead of Week 1