Following a tumultuous year in the Philadelphia Eagles locker room, head coach Nick Sirianni reportedly has made a major effort to take the blame for the team’s failings and give more power back to his players.
The Eagles kick off the preseason portion of their 2024 schedule on Friday night. Their game against the Baltimore Ravens will be what many around the team hope is the first step in their road to redemption. After a strong start to the 2023 season, Philadelphia fell apart late in the year and was shockingly ousted in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs.
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In the final weeks of the season and during the offseason there have been many reports of a wide divide between head coach Nick Sirianni and his players. Especially starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. It has him on the hot seat entering the new season and many wondering if the team can bridge the gap. Well, it seems in the spring the coach took a major step by humbling himself before his players and bosses.
On Wednesday, ESPN released a report featuring inside intel on some major developments within the Philadelphia Eagles locker room. During workouts this spring, Sirianni reportedly humbled himself in front of his team and general manager Howie Roseman by taking all of the blame for the team’s disappointing results to end the 2023 season.
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“He took full responsibility, that he felt he let the team down and didn’t do a good enough job of empowering the players,” a team source told the outlet. “It was passionate and from the heart.” A second source claimed the moment was a breath of fresh air and “showed leadership” in a way that was lacking last year.
“Even when we were 10-1, everyone was walking around like their dog died. All year, instead of having fun playing, it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we lost the Super Bowl,” a source explained to ESPN about the awkwardness in the Eagles locker room in 2023.
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Bridging the rumored divide with Hurts will be another major hurdle this year after he regressed following an MVP candidate campaign in 2022. However, there is hope. A team source told the outlet that there is a belief that new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore could “bridge the gap” over time between the head coach and star QB.
The Philadelphia Eagles face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 of the preseason on Friday at 7:30 PM ET.