Nick Sirianni: Eagles Offense Got 'Stale,' New OC Will Help Refresh Scheme in 2024

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni though it was important to bring in an outside voice this offseason when addressing the departure of offensive coordinator Brian Johnson.

Sirianni told reporters the team "got a little bit stale on offense at the end of the year." He added he's looking to empower whoever comes in to oversee the unit:

Sirianni cleaned house, letting go of Johnson and defensive coordinator Sean Desai, meaning the Eagles need to fill both coordinator roles for the second successive offseason.

Desai's ouster wasn't a huge surprise since he had been demoted midway through the 2023 campaign. He was also an imperfect fit from the start since Philly was left scrambling for a replacement after Jonathan Gannon took the Arizona Cardinals job.

The decision with Johnson was a little less expected because he's widely considered to be a coach on the rise.

As with Desai, though, this may have been the case of Johnson being a bad match with Sirianni despite having served as the quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2022.

Ahead of the postseason, with Philadelphia having dropped five of its last six games, ESPN's Tim McManus detailed a fragmented dynamic between the two coaches.

"A source described Johnson as having to fit his own philosophy within an offensive structure belonging to Sirianni," he reported. "And just how much autonomy Johnson has as a playcaller is unclear. ... The line is blurred enough that some offensive players don't know for sure who is calling the plays and when, a team source said."

That wasn't exactly a new source of intrigue with Sirianni.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Philadelphia has already interviewed former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury as part of its search to replace Johnson Regardless of whether Kingsbury is hired, targeting him at least sends a message.

You wouldn't think Sirianni would consider hiring a former head coach — one who presumably wants to ascend to that role again — and not be willing to cede some influence over the offense.

Given how brief Johnson's coordinator run was, some fans might remain cautiously optimistic before they get to see how much a coaching change tangibly alters the scheme.