Eagles Reportedly Make Final Decision on Nick Sirianni’s Firing Amid Philadelphia’s Disastrous 2–7 Record
from The NFL Insider at Essentially Pro Football
Three things we should know about the Eagles’ history with coaches under owner Jeffrey Lurie are that winning doesn’t guarantee job security, midseason firings are comparatively unusual but still possible, and the owner’s confidence in the team’s future matters enormously. All of that makes Nick Sirianni’s situation particularly interesting.
Sirianni’s already won a Super Bowl, reached another, and received a contract extension in May 2025. His record before the 2026 season was substantially better than those of several of his predecessors. However, the Eagles’ 2–7 start and seven consecutive defeats are serious enough that his previous success alone cannot settle the question. In fact, there’s one reason he might still be vulnerable.
While the talk of the town has been whether the Eagles should move on from Sirianni midseason, NFL analyst Mike Garafolo has added another layer to the discussion. Per Garafolo, Sirianni’s job as the Eagles’ head coach should be safe, despite the rumors surrounding his uncertain future in Philadelphia, as reported by Thomas R. Petersen.
Notably, the head coach himself admitted that he isn’t too concerned about his future at the moment.
“I’ve always felt I have nothing but complete support from Mr. Lurie, in everything, through good times, through bad times,” said Nick Sirianni. “That’s huge, right? That’s huge to be able to know that the owner has your back in all these situations.
“We’ve been [at the] high of highs, we’ve been low, and I’ve felt nothing but support and my communication remains the same with him as it has whether we’re on a winning streak or whether we’re on a losing streak.”
However, Lurie’s history with previous Eagles coaches offers a little more insight into why Sirianni might not necessarily be facing an immediate dismissal. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Chip Kelly is the only one of the five head coaches under Lurie to have been fired during a season. And even that happened with just one game remaining on the schedule.
Andy Reid, for instance, was allowed to finish his final season in 2012 despite Philadelphia enduring an eight-game losing streak. The Eagles eventually finished 4–12, and Lurie revealed during his December 31 press conference that he had started leaning toward firing Reid when the team fell to 3–9. However, he waited until the season was over before making the decision. Reid had previously taken Philadelphia to five NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl, making his departure another example of how past success doesn’t necessarily guarantee a coach’s future in the organization.
Kelly’s departure was a little different. Despite leading the Eagles to consecutive 10-win seasons in 2013 and 2014, including an NFC East title in his first year, he was fired on December 29, 2015, after the team fell to 6–9. Lurie had given Kelly greater control over personnel decisions, but concerns surrounding the team’s direction, his leadership and relationships within the organization eventually contributed to the decision. His dismissal came with just one game left in the regular season, making it the clearest example of Lurie acting before a season had officially ended.
Then there’s Doug Pederson, who led Philadelphia to its first Super Bowl victory in 2018 but was fired on January 11, 2021, after a 4–11–1 campaign. Lurie’s explanation at the time was particularly telling. While acknowledging what Pederson had accomplished, he made it clear that the franchise’s future would take priority over its past achievements. “My first allegiance is, what will be best for the Philadelphia Eagles and our fans for the next three, four, five years,” Lurie said. The two had also disagreed over the team’s future direction and coaching structure.
So, while the Eagles have shown that even a Super Bowl-winning coach isn’t guaranteed job security, their history doesn’t necessarily suggest that Lurie is quick to make midseason changes. In fact, Reid’s departure is particularly relevant to the current situation. Like Sirianni, he was dealing with a prolonged losing streak, but Lurie still allowed him to finish the campaign before deciding on his future.
Just like Coach Sirianni, the Eagles are also stuck in a dilemma this season. And this isn’t even the first time Lurie has had to decide whether to stick with Sirianni after a disappointing stretch.
Philadelphia’s 2023 collapse had already put the head coach under considerable scrutiny. The Eagles started that season 10–1 but lost five of their final six regular-season games before suffering a 32–9 Wild Card defeat against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Questions surrounding Sirianni’s leadership and coaching decisions followed, but Lurie chose to retain him.
Rather than making a coaching change, the Eagles brought in Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator and Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator. The decision paid off the following season, when Philadelphia finished 14–3 and defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22 in Super Bowl LIX.
That turnaround is another important part of Sirianni’s case. Lurie had already seen him navigate a significant collapse and chose to give him another opportunity. Sirianni subsequently delivered the franchise another championship, making it difficult to dismiss his previous success when evaluating the current situation.
In his first five seasons, Sirianni led Philadelphia to five consecutive playoff berths and two Super Bowl appearances, winning one. He also entered 2026 with a 59–26 regular-season record and a .694 winning percentage, the highest in franchise history among coaches with at least 50 games. He also had the second-most playoff wins in Eagles history.
At the same time, the Eagles kicked off the season with a pair of wins. However, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that while the team has struggled for more than a month, it has also been dealing with multiple injuries across the roster.
Starting quarterback Jalen Hurts is now sidelined with a season-ending injury, while the roster is dealing with other injuries as well. Hurts’ absence is particularly significant given that his medical situation involves blood clots rather than a conventional football injury. The Eagles and his agent confirmed that he had been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. Although the team said he was stable and expected to make a full recovery, NFL Network subsequently reported that he was expected to miss the remainder of the season because of the treatment and restrictions involved.
Of course, Hurts’ injury and the way the Eagles handled the situation are also worth discussing, but that hasn’t helped Philadelphia’s performance either. In fact, the offensive struggles were already evident before Hurts was ruled out. The Eagles entered 2026 with Sean Mannion as their new offensive coordinator, but his first season calling plays has come with considerable difficulties. Sirianni has already faced questions about the offensive system and whether he should take back play-calling responsibilities.
When asked whether changes were being considered, he responded, “Everything is on the table,” although he subsequently confirmed that Mannion would continue calling plays. This leaves Sirianni with another issue to address beyond the quarterback situation, particularly as the team’s offensive struggles have continued even after changing quarterbacks.
That said, the Eagles are heading into their bye week following a 19-11 loss to the New York Giants. The defeat extended Philadelphia’s losing streak to seven games, its longest since Reid’s final season in 2012, when the Eagles lost eight straight. While it remains uncertain whether Nick Sirianni will keep his job beyond the 2026 season, Mike Garafolo’s report suggests that the team isn’t interested in making a coaching change midseason.