Former NFL coach makes shocking claim about 2023 Eagles

Multiple reports published this summer detailed alleged issues between head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts that impacted the Philadelphia Eagles as the club experienced a brutal collapse late last season.

Former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan thinks Philadelphia's problems went beyond just two individuals.

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team that absolutely showed that they hated their coaches more than the Philadelphia Eagles last year," Ryan said during a recent appearance on "The Bret Boone Podcast," as shared by Jimmy Hascup of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "They were 10-1 at some point and then they couldn’t beat anybody. They were the worst team in the league to close out the season with outstanding players."

As Ryan alluded to, the 2023 Eagles went from 10-1 to 11-6 before they suffered a 32-9 wild-card playoff loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After the Eagles parted ways with defensive coordinator Sean Desai and offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, it was reported that the Philadelphia locker room dealt with "a problem that would splinter any group of men" during the closing weeks of what became a disappointing campaign.

Ryan noted that Vic Fangio, who replaced Desai, "is a good coach" and could help turn things around depending on how he's embraced by his players.

"There’s something in that building," Ryan said about the Eagles. "The chemistry was totally off."

Earlier this week, Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN revealed that "some close observers of the coaching landscape already have Philadelphia circled as an opening barring a strong showing by the team in 2024." Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reportedly "intends to coach in 2025" and may be one of those observers.

"At the end of the day, if this thing doesn’t go well in Philly — I think they are going to be tremendous — if things start to head south on them, watch what happens," Ryan continued. "We’re going to find out what they think of that coach. Judging by what happened last year, that’s not a good thing."

At this point, it's no secret that Sirianni's seat is quite hot heading into September. How much that reality will motivate Eagles players beginning with the Week 1 game versus the Green Bay Packers in Brazil on Sept. 6 shall be seen.