Meeting between Eagles owner and HC Nick Sirianni could hint toward future

Following a monumental late-season collapse by the Philadelphia Eagles, many believed that head coach Nick Sirianni's tenure had run its course after only three seasons. However, the latest development hints at the possibility that he could keep his job. 

On Thursday, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Sirianni would meet with owner Jeffrey Lurie on Friday for an exit interview. While a face-to-face doesn't guarantee Sirianni will be back in 2024, the fact he hasn't been fired by now is a mark in his favor at the very least. 

Meanwhile, Dianna Russini of The Athletic confirmed McLane's report, adding that Sirianni must arrive with a "plan for how he will improve the team" along with a list of potential coordinators and assistant coaches to pitch. 

Russini also reported that Sirianni and Eagles general manager Howie Roseman have been canvasing the NFL for coaching staff candidates. 

While this might sound like good news for Sirianni, his fate likely depends on what he brings to the table on Friday. The Eagles fired Super Bowl LII Champion Doug Pederson shortly after a similar meeting with Lurie in Jan. 2021. 

Three seasons removed from winning the franchise's first Lombardi Trophy, the team had significantly regressed under Pederson, falling to 4-11-1 in 2020. While the situation then isn't entirely comparable to now, with the Eagles coming off an 11-win campaign, there are similarities. 

Like Sirianni, Pederson made coaching staff changes that eventually backfired and the team's steep and sudden decline came following the departure of coordinators or coaches who were seemingly more integral to the team's success than previously thought. Pederson never recovered from the loss of offensive coordinator Frank Reich, while for his part Sirianni fell flat in his first season without OC Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. 

Pederson had his ideal staff in mind, which reportedly didn't jive with Lurie. Fast forward to 2024 and after promoting Brian Johnson to OC and Sean Desai to DC, which proved to be a failure, Sirianni seemingly has one more shot to get that aspect of vision right. 

Ultimately, when pressed on how to right the ship, Pederson didn't give inspiring enough answers to Lurie's concerns and was soon out the door. 

Now, roughly three years later, Sirianni will have his day on the hot seat, with an opportunity to do what Pederson couldn't – convince Lurie to stand pat.