Seahawks' Sean Desai Hired as Eagles Defensive Coordinator; Replaces Jonathan Gannon

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll scooped NFL insiders when he said Tuesday that Sean Desai would leave his staff to become defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia later confirmed the news.

Desai will replace Jonathan Gannon, who left to become head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

This will be Philadelphia's second coordinator hire of the offseason after the NFC champion promoted Brian Johnson from quarterbacks coach following the departure of Shane Steichen, who became the Indianapolis Colts' head coach, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Earlier Tuesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano reported Desai was "a strong candidate" and "well-positioned" to get hired by the Eagles.

Desai was the Chicago Bears' defensive coordinator for one season in 2021. Chicago allowed the sixth-fewest yards per game (316.7) in the NFL and ranked 13th in defensive efficiency at Football Outsiders.

Still, the 39-year-old was out of a job with Matt Eberflus coming in as head coach and bringing Alan Williams with him from the Indianapolis Colts.

Desai joined the Seahawks as an associate head coach for the defense, and he made a strong impression on Carroll.

"We had a great time. He's really, really a brilliant football guy," Carroll said, per NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro. "The background and the information he holds, his access to information is really special. ... We got along great. It was a good challenge for me. [Desai] comes from a different football background, so it was fun to knock heads and always figure it out."

Desai will have big shoes to fill along with high expectations. Winning a Super Bowl will be the goal for the Eagles, and they'll hope they once again have a defense that ranks in the top 10 in yards and points allowed.