Getty Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts showed off a new handshake during the Eagles' 32-6 victory in Week 1.
It’s been a decade since Andy Reid was head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Hard to believe, huh? More importantly, Big Red still cares about the organization that let him go in 2012. And he isn’t afraid to offer advice when asked.
Reid was a recent guest on JAKIB Media’s Sports Take where he revealed his true feelings on Philly fans and what Nick Sirianni needs to do to win their respect. Number one rule: don’t lie to them.
“Just be honest with them. They don’t want the class clown up there,” Reid said. “That’s not what they want and he’s not that … so they just want to be shot straight. Listen, who am I to say? I sucked at that [media stuff]. I was terrible at it. I think he’s doing a good job.”
“Dealing with the media, that’s a whole other deal. Dealing with the football team, I can handle that. And dealing with the media, I just try and give them something they can go with and then get out. They don’t want the class clown. That’s not what they want. Listen, they’re going to get on you no matter what so I’d rather just get in, give them something that they can use, and then get the heck out.”
Asked Andy Reid his advice for #Eagles coach Nick Sirianni: “Keep being you. … He’s got a strong personality, a strong kid, man. And you need that here. You guys can be a little rough. But you got to have that and keep moving. You don’t let things grab you and take you down.”
When pressed further about the Philly faithful, Reid refused to trash one of the most passionate fan bases in American sports. He appreciated everything about them during his 14 years patrolling the sideline there.
“I’d say great. I’d also tell you they’re well educated in the sport,” Reid said of Philly fans. “I always felt like they were on the same page as the coach. If you stunk, they let you know it, just like you’re feeling. If you did well, they were all in, just like you were feeling as a coach. And they were honest with it. They didn’t hesitate to voice their opinion.”
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Reid Says Starting QBs Need About 4 Years
Reid has been watching Jalen Hurts from afar and likes what he sees. The Kansas City honcho talked to Hurts after his Chiefs beat the Eagles 42-30 in Week 4 of the 2021 season. He walked away impressed with Hurts’ will to succeed.
“He sincerely wants to do well and that’s the start,” Reid said. “That’s the foundation, and with that, and with the coaching he’s getting from Nick [Sirianni], I mean, that’s going to take place. And everybody just needs to hang with him and Nick will deflect some of the [media] stuff you have to deflect from the public until he feels like he’s grounded all the way, and then he flies from there.”
Andy Reid believes #Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has what it takes to succeed
According to Reid, it takes about four years for a new starting quarterback to get comfortable in a system. He went through that process with Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia. And with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City.
“So, they’re in that process,” Reid said. “The one thing that you’ve got there is a guy who’s willing to work hard and he wants to be great. That’s what he wants.”
Chris Simms Explains Low Ranking for Hurts
NBC Sports’ Chris Simms has been slowly revealing his 2022 Top 40 QB Countdown and it includes 21 names so far. Hurts made an appearance at No. 25 after failing to make the list in 2021. Which wouldn’t be awful until you see the guys ranked ahead of him: Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, Daniel Jones. None of those four quarterbacks have ever qualified for the postseason.
Eagles fans quickly pummeled Simms on Twitter with some saying he only ranked Hurts that low to get “clicks and attention.” Then Simms described the method behind his madness on his “Unbuttoned” podcast while admitting he made a mistake last year.
“I was wrong last year, I think that’s fair to say,” Simms said of Hurts, via SportsRadio 94WIP. “He was one of those first few guys off my list, I had questions about him. he proved to me that he can do it, but within that, I didn’t come away watching every Jalen Hurts throw from last year or anything going ‘Oh, he’s definitely the future. They got it, there’s no doubt about it, I was totally wrong.'”