Major issue from Eagles’ late-season collapse reportedly still lingering

The Philadelphia Eagles were perched atop the NFC standings with a 10-1 record through Week 12. Entering the home stretch of the regular season, the Eagles seemed destined to soar into the postseason as the top seed in the conference.

Then, the San Francisco 49ers came to Lincoln Financial Field in Week 13 and trounced the Eagles. 42-19, in front of Philadelphia's home crowd. It was vindication for a San Francisco team that had been tortured by their unfortunate end to the 2022 campaign, and this drama-packed game changed the trajectory of the season for both franchises. The 49ers ultimately secured the NFC's No. 1 seed on their way to a Super Bowl appearance, while the Eagles descended into an uncontrollable tailspin.

The Eagles lost five of their five of their final six games to finish the regular season, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put them out of their misery in the NFC Wild Card Round. Since then, Philadelpia's season has been dissected in search of answers for what went wrong.

Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni relationship issues linger over Eagles

The relationship between head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts has been far from perfect and it could continue to impact the team in 2024, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini ($).

"We’ve seen Jalen Hurts on the sideline with Nick Sirianni, and they were not going at one another," Russini wrote. "But there is definitely a difference in personality. The way I would describe it: The relationship is still a work in progress. Last year there was some disconnect between them, due to their personalities. Nick, we’ve seen, is a very emotional guy. Jalen is a very private guy."

Despite the 10-1 record to start the season, it was clear that the Eagles weren't quite the same team as they were in 2022, when they were likely one or two plays away from hoisting a Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LII.

Former Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen left the team to become head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, and Philadelphia promoted Brian Johnson to offensive coordinator to serve as a buffer between Sirianni and Hurts.

Johnson was named offensive coordinator because he had a great relationship with Hurts, but Russini reported that "it was 100 percent Sirianni's offense you were watching last season." The head coach wanted to take a conservative, run-first approach, which didn't sit well with Hurts.

Russini's reporting also adds credence to prior reports that suggested Eagles security chief Dom DiSandro helped keep Sirianni's emotions in check during games. DiSandro was suspended after a sideline scuffle with 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Sirianni reportedly got into many arguments with players and other coaches as Philadelphia's season unraveled. Players also expressed their love for the beloved security chief after the scuffle, and cornerback Darius Slay even named DiSandro as the reason he returned to the Eagles this offseason.

There were rumors that the Eagles would fire Sirianni this offseason, but the team ultimately wound up retaining the head coach. Still, general manager Howie Roseman may have taken over many of Sirianni's duties.

"Roseman, though, believes that he has built a championship roster, and that they should have gone much further than they did in 2023," Russini wrote. "He made the decision to bring in Moore and Fangio. And that’s why Moore will have more control of the offense than Brian Johnson had a year ago. And as far as the defense goes, as always, Vic Fangio is going to do what Vic Fangio wants to do."

The Eagles should be much improved in 2024, especially with the addition of running back Saquon Barkley. The Eagles will also have new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to fix their woes from 2023.