Brian Johnson out as Eagles offensive coordinator as Nick Sirianni remakes his coaching staff

Johnson was brought in as quarterbacks coach and was successful with Jalen Hurts in that role. He was promoted to offensive coordinator but Hurts and the offense regressed.

Brian Johnson was Eagles offensive coordinator for one season.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

by Jeff McLane

Updated Jan. 23, 2024, 9:42 a.m. ET

Published Jan. 23, 2024, 9:33 a.m. ET

Brian Johnson is out as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator as Nick Sirianni goes about remaking his coaching staff, NFL sources told The Inquirer on Tuesday.

Johnson’s removal doesn’t come as a shock considering the offensive regression in his first year as coordinator. The Eagles still had one of the better units in the NFL, but they dropped from third to eighth in total yards and third to seventh in points scored.

The greater indictment of the offense came during an epic collapse that saw the 10-1 Eagles lose six of their last seven games, including a 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers in the first round of the playoffs.

Sirianni has already fired defensive coordinator Sean Desai, who was demoted when the Eagles were 10-3. And Matt Patricia, who took over the defense as a result, will not return with his one-year contract expired.

On the other side of the ball, defenses found various ways to keep quarterback Jalen Hurts and the offense in check over the span of the collapse, but a combination of factors led to an inability to beat pressure. Sirianni’s scheme, Johnson’s play-calling, and Hurts’ liabilities failed to offset the blitz.

Johnson, 36, was brought to Philadelphia by Sirianni originally to be quarterbacks coach. He was rising star in the college ranks, having worked at Florida, Mississippi State, and his alma mater, Utah. But his relationship with the Hurts family — he had played for Hurts’ father and known Jalen since he was 4 — played a role in his hiring.

And it was a fruitful partnership as Hurts developed into a MVP-caliber quarterback in his second full season as the starter and the Eagles nearly won Super Bowl LVII last February.

Sirianni’s decision to alter the offense to play to Hurts’ strengths and to hand play-calling over to offensive coordinator Shane Steichen midway through the 2021 season also had a significant impact on Hurts’ growth.

But Steichen left after the Super Bowl to become head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Johnson’s promotion was seen then as a formality. It was clear from the season opener, though, that the offense was not functioning as it was months earlier.

Many outside the NovaCare Complex blamed Johnson because he was one of the few new pieces on that side of the ball. But Sirianni defended his coordinator and emphasized that he himself was mostly responsible for the scheme and game planning.

Hurts had rough patches as well, although it’s unclear how much of his struggles had to do with Sirianni’s inability to stay a step ahead of opposing defensive coordinators who spent all offseason looking for ways to combat his offense and with Johnson’s sometimes-awkward play-calling.

Johnson had virtual interviews with the Titans and Falcons for head-coaching jobs. Tennessee chose Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan on Monday and Atlanta has reportedly scheduled a second interview with Johnson that will occur next week.

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.

But there will be changes, not only to the offensive staff but to the system that went from high-powered in 2022 to highly questionable in 2023.

Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman are sure to be asked many of these questions during their Wednesday news conference.