Bombshell report details Eagles' Nick Sirianni, Jalen Hurts relationship

Both Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts received criticism following the club's collapse during the second half of the 2023 season.

NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic revealed on Friday that the relationship between the two "is still a work in progress" heading into what could become a franchise-altering campaign.

"Last year, there was some disconnect between them due to their personalities," Russini explained. "Nick, we’ve seen, is a very emotional guy. Jalen is a very private guy. They are different human beings, which is fine. You don’t all have to be the same, but you do have to be on the same page when it comes to what you want to do on offense."

Hurts signed a five-year contract extension reportedly worth up to $255M with $179.3M guaranteed in the spring of 2023 but then had his leadership abilities questioned after the Eagles fell from 10-1 to 11-6 before they suffered a brutal 32-9 wild-card playoff loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January. In Friday's piece, Russini mentioned, "Sirianni is a conservative play-caller, and that never goes over great with a franchise quarterback."

Russini also shared that general manager Howie Roseman now "has all the power" within the organization and "had his hands all over" the decision to part ways with both defensive coordinator Sean Desai and offensive coordinator Brian Johnson this winter. Vic Fangio replaced Desai, while Kellen Moore replaced Johnson.

"Johnson had a great relationship with Hurts, which is part of the reason why he was promoted before the 2023 season after Shane Steichen left to take the [Indianapolis Colts head-coaching job]," Russini noted.

Sirianni's seat allegedly "could probably not be hotter" following the 2023 season, and the Eagles have repeatedly been linked in stories with former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. While Russini said that "Sirianni was never really in danger" of losing his job this past January after he guided the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII in February 2023, she also suggested that Roseman won't tolerate another one-and-done postseason performance from the club.

"Roseman believes this is a championship roster," Russini concluded. "What that means: If Sirianni doesn’t take them to that level in 2024, the leash probably isn’t very long."

Per Greg Dudek of NESN, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on a recent edition of the "Talkin' Ball with Pat Leonard" podcast that Belichick "would want [the Eagles job] in the worst way" if it opens up in January 2025. Additionally, some believe the Eagles could at least explore moving on from Hurts as soon as next offseason.

In short, Sirianni and Hurts must get on the same page if they want to continue working together in Philadelphia.