LATEST UPDATE: Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson is let go, and Nick Sirianni is changing the coaching staff.

PHILADELPHIA: NFL sources told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday that Brian Johnson is leaving his position as offensive coordinator for the Eagles while Nick Sirianni works to reassemble his coaching staff. Considering the offensive decline in Johnson’s first season as coordinator, his dismissal is hardly shocking. Although they fell from third to eighth place in total yards and third to seventh place in points scored, the Eagles were still among the stronger teams in the NFL.

The larger criticism of the offence came after a spectacular collapse that saw the 10-1 Eagles drop six of their final seven games, including a playoff round loss to the Buccaneers by a score of 32 to 9.

Defensive coordinator Sean Desai, who was demoted when the Eagles were 10-3, has already been fired by Sirianni. And Matt Patricia, whose one-year contract has expired, will not be coming back after taking over the defence as a result.

Defences on the other side of the ball managed to contain quarterback Jalen Hurts and the offence during the collapse, but a number of circumstances prevented them from applying enough pressure. Hurts’ injuries, Johnson’s play-calling, and Sirianni’s plan were unable to counter the blitz.

Sirianni initially brought the 36-year-old Johnson to Philadelphia to coach quarterbacks. Having held positions at Utah, Florida, and Mississippi State, he was a rising star in the collegiate levels. However, his hiring was influenced by his connection to the Hurts family—he had played for Hurts’ father and known Jalen since he was 4 years old.

And it proved to be a successful alliance as Hurts became an MVP candidate in just his second full season as the starting quarterback and the Eagles came dangerously close to winning Super Bowl LVII in February of last year.

Hurts’ development was also greatly impacted by Sirianni’s choice to change the offence to better utilise Hurts’ talents and to give offensive coordinator Shane Steichen play-calling duties halfway through the 2021 campaign.

But following the Super Bowl, Steichen departed to take a position as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. At the time, Johnson’s elevation was considered a formality. However, it was evident from the first game of the season that the offence was not operating as it had few months prior.

Johnson was one of the few new players on that side of the ball, so many people outside the NovaCare Complex held him accountable. However, Sirianni stood up for his coordinator, emphasising that he was chiefly in charge of the strategy and game planning.

Hurts also had his share of rocky stretches, but it’s unclear how much of his problems stemmed from Johnson’s occasionally confusing play-calling and Sirianni’s inability to keep up with defensive coordinators who spent the whole offseason trying to find methods to stop his offence.

Sirianni likely went to owner Jeffrey Lurie last week with a list of possible replacements for Johnson. He will have to decide if he wants to bring in someone to remake the scheme or someone to execute his existing offense.

However, there will be adjustments made to the attacking personnel as well as the system, which changed from being extremely capable in 2022 to being highly dubious in 2023.

Many of these issues will undoubtedly be posed to Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman during their news conference on Wednesday.