The offseason is in full force for most of the NFL. With it the Philadelphia Eagles early playoff exit is bringing some harsh realities, one the fanbase is realizing they might be the cause of. With all the coach hiring drama going on so far, it’s no surprise that people are questioning Philly fans and if they’re sabotaging their own coaching hiring.
Speaking of coaching hires, the Cleveland Browns have a big decision on their hands too. The good thing is they’re down to five candidates for who they want to lead the team in 2026. The downside is not all five are the best options. NFL Championship weekend may be here, but for 28 teams, the offseason has already arrived.
Philly’s fanbase could be sabotaging the Eagles amid an important offseason
It’s no surprise that Philadelphia Eagles fans despised former offensive coordinator, Kevin Patullo. So much so that after a Week 8 loss to the Chicago Bears, disgruntled fans egged his house. That’s the reality of coaching in Philadelphia. Not only do you have to win up to the standards of the front office, but the overzealous fanbase too.
Being a coach for the Eagles comes with its challenges, for sure, but living up to the expectations of the fanbase, well that could be the very thing sabotaging the Eagles’ efforts of landing Patullo’s replacement. The Eagles pinned Mike McDaniel as their top choice and he never interviewed; Brian Daboll interviewed but didn’t get a deal so he landed with the Tennessee Titans.
This job opening shouldn’t be this hard to fill, yet the very fanbase that demands so much from its sports teams is also making it difficult for the Eagles to do their job.
"I'm just saying the way Patullo was treated last year, which I thought was unfair because I thought more needed to be put on the players, even the players had said that ... The way Patullo was treated, let's just say this – anybody that's a coach in the NFL is very well aware of what it is like to be in Philadelphia in general, to be the offensive coordinator in particular," former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker said.
Are Eagles fans to blame for their OC failure?
In a way, it’s fair to blame the fanbase. No other fanbase, regardless of how rabid their fandom is, is as brutal as Eagles fans. Look at that team, sure A.J. Brown is causing friction, but there’s still a ton of talent on that roster.
What coordinator wouldn’t want to work with that? But when it comes to fans berating you outside of Lincoln Financial Field, well you can’t blame a coach for not wanting to put up with that. Even Nick Sirianni has had his job security questioned by the fanbase a year removed from winning a Super Bowl.
That’s a tough job to have. I think some of it, too, is there are a lot of job openings and plenty of assistants that are in contention for those jobs. But if someone like Nathan Scheelhaase doesn’t end up with a surprise head coaching job, he could be a name to watch. The Eagles should be able to land an impressive hire.
The head coaching market is making matters more complicated than they probably are for the Eagles, but it doesn’t help when you have to answer to the fanbase week after week, either. It’s part of being a coach and player in Philadelphia, and you can’t blame a coach for not wanting to put up with it. These people have families. Their kids go to school. They have a life outside of work. Even Eagles fans can relate to getting berated outside of their scheduled hours. Just don't do it, Philly.
Ranking the Cleveland Browns’ head coaching options with second round interviews underway
Well, Cleveland might not know who their coach for the 2026 season will be, but they certainly have a type. They are eyeing young coaches with a lot of potential over retreads or veteran coordinators. So here’s who they could land and ranking them in order of best fit.
5. Jim Schwartz
While it might be intriguing to keep Jim Schwartz around as a head coach after how elite last season’s defense was, he didn’t have a good tenure his first time around as a head coach. Schwartz had just one winning season in the five seasons he coached in Detroit. Sometimes, coordinators are just better coordinators than they are head coaches and Schwartz seems to fit that category.
4. Todd Monken
This has been an interesting candidate, but I just don’t see it working. I feel like in Cleveland, they need a young coach to build around rather than an experienced coordinator. Monken has had a good run in Baltimore, I just don’t see this as the upgrade Cleveland would need.
3. Nathan Scheelhaase
If Scheelhaase were an offensive coordinator, I’d be all over hiring him right now, but he’s the passing game coordinator and not being the leader of the offensive staff. This means he might not be experienced enough for the Browns. This is a major rebuilding job, not just from a wins and losses standpoint, but truly shifting a culture. Scheelhaase is a year or two away from being a solid coach candidate. I can see why the Browns are intrigued, but they should only hire him if they have to.
2. Jesse Minter
This would be a great hire for one reason and that’s because they’d get a young mind in the room, but someone who would perfectly pick up where this defense left off in 2025. I think it would be wise for Minter to retain Schwartz though that might not be likely. If you can’t Schwartz, the next best thing would be Minter. However, he's been heavily-linked to the Baltimore Ravens job.
1. Grant Udinski
Grant Udinski is my favorite for the Browns to hire. I think he’s the safest option. He’s young enough that the Browns would need to be patient with him. On top of that, because he’s a former offensive coordinator, his work with this ailing offensive would have to work. He’ll need to make a smart hire when it comes to the defensive coordinator, but Udinski is the best option for Cleveland to turn things around.