Getty Former Atlanta Falcons tight end Justin Peelle is leaving the Eagles coaching staff.
The Philadelphia Eagles still haven’t officially named Nick Sirianni as their next head coach. That hasn’t slowed a mini shakeup in the coaching staff.
Assistant head coach Duce Staley has been drawing interest from the Chicago Bears, per multiple reports, and tight ends coach Justin Peelle has accepted a job with the Atlanta Falcons.
The two moves are unrelated but surely indicate Sirianni’s desire to surround himself with hand-picked assistants. Staley had been a leading candidate to take over as offensive coordinator in Philly, although he has no prior experience ever calling plays in the NFL. The 45-year-old was a finalist for the Eagles’ head-coaching gig and didn’t get it for the second time in five years. Maybe Staley feels it is time to move on to an organization that will allow him to climb up the coaching ranks.
He has expressed a desire to one day be a head coach in previous comments while discussing his role in the offensive meeting room. Remember, the Eagles chose not to tab an offensive coordinator in 2020.
“In those meetings, we all have a voice and we are all talking,” Staley told reporters in August. “Doug [Pederson] is in that meeting, also. We share our ideas. We come up with the game plan, we put it on paper, and we go out on the field and we execute.”
Justin Peelle who was the Eagles TE coach for the last six seasons and who has been with Eagles since 2013 is named Atlanta Falcons TE coach today
Meanwhile, Peelle spent three years in Atlanta as a tight end where he caught 37 balls for 370 yards and five touchdowns in 44 games. He retired after the 2011 season with 123 career receptions for 1,003 yards during productive stints in Atlanta, San Diego, Miami and San Francisco.
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Special-Teams Coordinator Has Permission to Interview
According to The Athletic’s Bo Wulf, the Eagles have granted special-teams coordinator Dave Fipp “permission to explore other options.” Fipp has been with the organization since 2013 when former head coach Chip Kelly brought him on board.
The Detroit Lions had asked to interview Fipp last week, but they were denied. Now it appears the Eagles are ready to move on from their long-time assistant. Fipp began his NFL coaching career in 2008 as an assistant special teams coach for the San Francisco 49ers.
The 2020 season was one of the most challenging for coaches due to the odd circumstances around the COVID-19 pandemic. The Eagles finished 25th in the NFL in special teams, per DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average).
“Is this the most challenging year? I don’t know,” Fipp told reporters on Dec. 29. “Every year is challenging in some ways. Like I’ve said before we have a really high standard, I have a high standard for myself and for the things that we get done on special teams.”
Fipp has been Eagles’ ST coordinator since 2013. Finishes by DVOA over that time:
’13 – 25th
’14 – 1st
’15 – 10th
’16 – 2nd
’17 – 16th
’18 – 15th
’19 – 19th
’20 – 22nd
Eagles Name Jason Kelce ‘Player of the Year’
The Eagles are being eerily quiet about announcing Sirianni as the 24th head coach in franchise history. However, the team did reveal that starting center Jason Kelce is the Toyota Player of the Year for 2020. The award went to quarterback Carson Wentz in 2019 and 2018.
Don’t read too much into that, though. Kelce was the lone player to stay healthy on the offensive line in a challenging year for everyone. There are rumors that the 33-year-old All-Pro — and possible future Hall of Famer — may decide to hang up his cleats and retire. Stay tuned.
“I can’t say this enough. When I have decided to retire, you guys will know and it will be a very loud and emphatic statement,” Kelce told reporters in May. “And it’s going to be made most likely, barring some kind of physical ailment that comes up during the season or something like that, the retirement announcement is going to happen before training camp, before free agency, before the draft.”
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