Nick Sirianni addresses rumors Eagles were pursuing Bill Belichick to replace him

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is typically uber-passionate, competitive, fiery and transparent. He wears his heart on his sleeve, so it's noticeable when he conducts himself differently.

On Monday, Sirianni met with reporters and discussed various topics from the Eagles' 2023 campaign and this offseason. Naturally, he got asked about the rumors from months ago that Philly considered pursuing six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick to replace him. And his response sounded nothing like the exuberant personality we've all come to know:

"All I really took at this was I had Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie's trust," Sirianni said via Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports. "And they said, 'Hey, let's go back and let's do it again.' That's all I thought about. I haven't really thought about anything else. I think it's really tricky to think about things that you can't control.

Nick Sirianni addresses rumors that the Eagles were pursuing Bill Belichick to replace him

Despite the Belichick buzz, Sirianni emphasized that he is focused solely on what's within his reach. The latter said he will continue trying to lead the Eagles and their "culture" like he "always" has. Nonetheless, Philly's perceived interest in the former has evidently waned on him, and understandably so.

Sirianni, pre-2023, would have dismissed any concerns about Belichick with the utmost confidence, though it appears Philly's late-season collapse last year humbled him. Moreover, the Eagles exploring the possibility of superseding his services with a future Hall of Fame coach doesn't boost morale.  

The Eagles floundered heavily after a 10-1 start to this past regular season, losing five of their last six games. Then, they got trounced by the Tampa Bay Buccanneers on Super Wild Card Weekend, even though they were decent road favorites. Sirianni avoided getting fired following the brutal meltdown, but we can't say the same for his former offensive/defensive coordinators, Brian Johnson and Sean Desai. 

In three seasons with the Eagles, Sirianni is 34-17. His .667 winning percentage is the highest in franchise history. He guided Philly to a trip to Super Bowl LVII in his second year at the helm, reaching the playoffs thrice.

Regardless of the Belichick chatter, Sirianni has formed an outstanding résumé that speaks for itself.