The season came to an underwhelming end for the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday evening, as they fell in the wildcard round of the playoffs at home to the No. 6 seed 49ers, 23-19. Despite building a halftime lead and forcing two San Francisco turnovers, Philadelphia’s offense was stuck in the mud for the majority of the game and the Eagles mustered just six second-half points as they failed to close out the game.
It’s the conclusion to an underwhelming season on the whole for the Eagles. While they became the first repeat NFC East champions in over 20 years and had some big wins over the Chiefs, Rams, and Packers — among others — everything the Eagles did felt a little bit off. Philadelphia never found their groove on either side of the ball.
The Eagles have major questions to answer over the next few weeks and heading into the offseason. Coaching staff changes could be made, the fates of a few star players are a bit up in the air, and Philadelphia’s roster has some holes that need addressing. We’ll see how they choose to operate moving forward.
Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley on OC Kevin Patullo
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 11: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles hands the ball off to Saquon Barkley #26 during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Much of the criticism for the Eagles’ performance on Sunday has fallen on the shoulders of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. After former Eagles OC Kellen Moore left to take the Saints‘ head coaching gig last offseason, Patullo was promoted internally. Philadelphia had just two plays of more than 15 yards all game, and couldn’t establish the run against the league’s worst run defense.
“Yeah, I think you have to point the finger at one person, like that’s what you guys have to do in your job. Somebody has to catch the blame,” Eagles RB Saquon Barkley said, referring to the assembled media present. “Especially when we had the season we had the year before. Do I think that’s fair? No, I don’t think that’s fair at all.”
“You know, I’ll be the first one to say it. Did I play to the level I played last year? I don’t think so,” Barkley continued with his patented combination of honesty and thoughtfulness. “So I let [Patullo] down, I let my teammates down, we all — it’s a group thing. I know you guys go point at one person and say this, say that. It’s a group effort, and I think I have nothing but positive things to say about [Patullo], as a man and as a coach. Just, we fell short. We, as a collective. I want to make sure we get this known, that as a collective, we didn’t do enough. That’s just the truth, in my opinion.”
Where Do the Philadelphia Eagles Go From Here?
That’s an existential question the Eagles are now facing less than a calendar year removed from winning a Super Bowl. Patullo’s seat is as hot as it gets, despite Barkley’s defense, and changes are likely coming on that side of the ball in some capacity.
The big question is on the future of former All-Pro WR A.J. Brown‘s future in Philadelphia after he had a heated confrontation with HC Nick Sirianni on the sideline during the game and quickly left the locker room after the game, declining to speak with media.
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley Defends Kevin Patullo Amid Calls for Him to Be Fired