The Philadelphia Eagles will have to replace both coordinators for the second straight season.
Head coach Nick Sirianni already fired Eagles DC Sean Desai (who was demoted during the season) earlier this week, while Desai’s mid-year replacement — Matt Patricia — won’t return in 2024. On Tuesday, Philadelphia also parted ways with OC Brian Johnson, the Eagles’ former QBs coach who is generating head coaching interest this offseason.
Who’s up next for the Eagles? Let’s run through a few potential candidates on each side of the ball.
Philadelphia Eagles’ Offensive Coordinator Candidates
Zac Robinson, QB Coach, Los Angeles Rams
With every team wanting a piece of the Sean McVay system, Zac Robinson has drawn plenty of interview requests around the league. He has met or is slated to huddle with the Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Eagles are the only club from the group that can offer an established, high-end quarterback in Jalen Hurts. But Hurts clearly needs some help after his down 2023 campaign, and Robinson could bring the Rams’ effective scheme to Philadelphia.
Dan Pitcher, QB Coach, Cincinnati Bengals
Now that former Bengals OC Brian Callahan has accepted the Tennessee Titans’ HC position, Dan Pitcher looks like a shoo-in to become Cincinnati’s next offensive coordinator.
The only problem? Pitcher won’t call plays for the Bengals — head coach Zac Taylor handles that.
Would Pitcher leave for an opportunity to call his own shot? He has additional interest from the Raiders, Patriots, and Saints. Pitcher might have to weigh what’s most important — sticking with Joe Burrow and Co. or exploring his own chance to handle play-calling.
Eric Bieniemy, OC, Washington Commanders
Eric Bieniemy had to consider a similar question as Pitcher last season. Stuck in Andy Reid’s shadow with the Kansas City Chiefs, Bieniemy headed to Washington to call plays for first-year starting quarterback Sam Howell.
MORE: NFL Head Coach Predictions 2024
Things didn’t necessarily go all that well, as Howell led the NFL in interceptions and sacks. But that might’ve been on Howell.
Bieniemy has a long track record of work with Patrick Mahomes that could prove useful were he to coach Hurts at his next stop.
Klint Kubiak, Passing Game Coordinator, San Francisco 49ers
The recent success of former Kyle Shanahan acolytes Mike McDaniel and Bobby Slowik will only force teams to keep looking in the 49ers’ direction as they make offensive hires. Klint Kubiak may be the next name on the list.
Kubiak, the son of former NFL head coach Gary Kubiak, has play-calling experience as the Minnesota Vikings OC in 2021. After a layover as the Denver Broncos QBs coach in 2022, Kubiak spent this year in San Francisco helping orchestrate the league’s most efficient offense.
Eagles’ Defensive Coordinator Candidates
Ron Rivera, Former HC, Washington Commanders
Ron Rivera has already been added to Philadelphia’s candidate list. Just a few weeks removed from serving as Washington’s head coach, the 62-year-old Rivera isn’t ready to hang up his headset quite yet.
Rivera only has three years as a DC on his résumé, which came way back in 2008 with the then-San Diego Chargers. Still, he sometimes called plays as the Carolina Panthers head coach and took over defensive play-calling after firing Commanders DC Jack Del Rio in November.
Mike Caldwell, Former DC, Jacksonville Jaguars
The other known candidate on the Eagles’ mind, Mike Caldwell, was let go as the Jaguars’ DC after a disappointing 2023 campaign. After a hot start, Jacksonville collapsed down the stretch, while young players like former first-round linebacker Devin Lloyd showed little development.
Nevertheless, Caldwell is well-respected as a communicator and has spent most of his career working under a defensive whiz in Todd Bowles. He’s also previously worked for the Eagles, serving as a defensive assistant from 2008 to 2021.
Wink Martindale, Former DC, New York Giants
If the Eagles want to go in a totally different direction, they could consider ex-Giants DC Wink Martindale, who resigned from New York after a series of interpersonal conflicts with head coach Brian Daboll.
MORE: 2024 Head Coach Interview Tracker
Martindale blitzed nearly half the time in 2023, bringing additional rushers at the NFL’s second-highest rate. Meanwhile, Philadelphia ranked just 23rd in blitz rate (22%). The Eagles were able to get pressure without blitzing in 2022, but they might need a more aggressive approach moving forward.
Jim Leonhard, Defensive Analyst, University of Illinois
Jim Leonhard was a candidate to become the Eagles’ DC last offseason, but the two sides mutually decided against pursuing a union. Leonhard had planned to undergo hip surgery and sit out the 2023 season but seemed intrigued by the Philadelphia job.
Leonhard, now a senior football analyst at Illinois, would presumably be available this time around. While he’s never coached in the NFL, he spent a decade in the league as a safety and could profile as the next Mike Macdonald.
Want to predict the results of the 2023 NFL postseason with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? How about looking into in-depth breakdowns of team depth charts or the NFL playoff schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with all that and more!
