The Philadelphia Eagles are once again searching for an offensive coordinator.
Importantly, this article is not a straight-up ranking of candidates. Instead, this is a tiered board of all candidates who have surfaced. New names will be added if the search expands.
I think this team needs an OC with full control. The operation hasn’t been good enough for years. This isn’t a developmental year. The roster is built to win now. If you’re serious about competing, you don’t run a collaborative committee experiment. You hire someone who runs the offense and let them run it.
This hire matters! It will tell us if the Eagles are serious about overhauling an offense that has lost its identity, or if they’re simply looking for the next temporary caretaker.
I know I am normally all about film, but I’ve done a lot of research for this one. Obviously, I’ve seen a lot of film on some of these when watching the Eagles, but I haven’t studied every single one. The film articles will come when we hire someone!
Category 1: The Proven Adult in the Room
An experienced, lower-risk hire with a clear track record of doing the job competently and raising the floor.
BRIAN DABOLL
Former New York Giants head coach
Pros
Daboll checks almost every structural requirement the Eagles should be targeting: he’s a proven NFL play-caller, he has a tangible quarterback development track record, and he has demonstrated adaptability across different personnel and different eras of offensive football. His work in Buffalo stands out as one of the best offensive development jobs of the last decade, transforming Josh Allen from a traits-first passer into a layered processor who could beat defenses with anticipation, coverage recognition, and intermediate manipulation.
At Alabama, he leaned into heavy personnel and power-run concepts; in Buffalo, he built a spread/RPO base with vertical stress; in New York, he pivoted to quick game, misdirection, and manufactured touches due to offensive line talent and injuries. Daboll also has meaningful relational overlap: he worked with Sirianni in Kansas City, coached Hurts at Alabama, and also knows Barkley and DeVonta Smith personally
Daboll would bring legitimate autonomy. Part of the Eagles’ stated intent is to let the new OC “run the offense” and inject their own identity. Daboll’s résumé gives him the authority to actually do that, which is something that younger or system-derived candidates would struggle to demand.
Cons
The concerns with Daboll are not schematic; they are interpersonal. He is a demanding coach who holds players to a high standard and can be combustible on the sideline. To be frank, he looks like a bit of an idiot at times on the sideline. That can be constructive for some quarterbacks, but it can also challenge building dynamics when the system hits adversity. His stint with the Giants included visible sideline tension, staff turnover, and communication issues with offensive assistants.
There is also a real question of power distribution. Hiring Daboll would require Sirianni to fully relinquish offensive control. That kind of autonomy is something the Eagles have historically been hesitant to grant unless the hires were explicitly brought in to run the show I don’t think Daboll would not accept a role where he is simply collaborating.
Overall Thoughts
If the Eagles want experience, structure, quarterback development, and a coach who can orchestrate an offense without training wheels, Daboll is one of the cleanest fits available. He would raise the floor immediately and should introduce a functional identity. However, the temperament scares me a little. Hiring Daboll is a choice to bring in a strong voice, not a steward. It would require the building to truly be ready for an OC to run the offense and challenge everyone, including the head coach!
MIKE MCDANIEL
Former Miami Dolphins head coach
Pros
McDaniel is the highest-ceiling offensive mind realistically in the conversation. His Miami offenses have been at the forefront of motion, spacing, and horizontal/vertical stress, and his sequencing has forced defensive coordinators to change how they play middle-of-field structures. He has demonstrated the ability to create layups for quarterbacks through design rather than hero ball, which is something the Eagles desperately lacked late last season when the offense devolved into iso routes and post-snap “figure it out.” Importantly, he also maximizes receiver leverage, a trait that would unlock A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in ways Sirianni’s offense never consistently achieved.
He has also shown the ability to build offense around a QB’s strengths rather than force a template. His work with Tua Tagovailoa proved that you don’t need elite arm talent to run McDaniel’s system if you can distribute on time and with rhythm. For Hurts, who has regressed as a middle-field thrower but has talent on the perimeter, McDaniel would offer legitimate solutions through formation and motion rather than simply asking the quarterback to become a different player. He is a run game superstar, too. McDaniel was a run-game savant under the Shanahan umbrella long before he became a HC.
Cons
The biggest schematic concern is that McDaniel’s system demands timing, rhythm, and middle-of-field access, which is precisely where Hurts has struggled. His recent seasons have featured one of the league’s highest rates of intermediate middle targets, while Hurts has ranked near the bottom in that area over multiple years
This is not a fatal mismatch, but it is a real transition cost. McDaniel would need to tailor concepts toward boundary-based throws, RPO, movement, and layered play-action, which he I think he can do, but we can’t be certain. Miami’s offense regressed sharply when Tyreek Hill went down, leading some evaluators to question how dependent the system is on speed and spacing gravity. If the Eagles lose A.J. Brown or have personnel churn, McDaniel’s offense may not plug-and-play as smoothly as fans assume.
Overall Thoughts
McDaniel would be a “big swing” and the kind of hire that signals the organization wants to join the league’s offensive vanguard rather than simply fix a broken room. He would give the Eagles a modern offense with schematic teeth, something they have lacked for years. The tradeoff is that it requires full buy-in: from the front office, from Sirianni, and from Hurts. No half-measures here. I’m on board.
KLIFF KINGSBURY
Former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
Pros
Kingsbury brings real quarterback development experience and a system that gives QBs defined reads and simplified post-snap decisions. His version of the Air Raid leans on spacing, vertical stress, and RPO elements, which are all areas Hurts is comfortable in from his Oklahoma days. He has helped produce productive seasons from Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield in college, and Jaden Daniels within structures that reduce mental load and allow athletic quarterbacks to play fast. It is also worth noting that Hurts has historically been more comfortable in true shotgun spread looks than under-center timing systems, which aligns more closely with Kingsbury’s DNA. He fits Hurts the best out of anyone on this list.
There is also an upside case that Kingsbury offers the quickest “plug-in” solution to get Hurts back into comfort. His scheme can mitigate Hurts’ slower middle-field processing by creating cleaner perimeter reads and conflict targets. And while his reputation took hits in Arizona, his offenses did not collapse because of a lack of ideas, they often plateaued due to injuries.
Cons
The critique is that Kingsbury tends to arrive with a pre-made system and expects players to adapt to it rather than tailoring it to personnel. His offensive evolution appears average year-to-year and NFL defenses seem to catch up to the system in year 2. Kingsbury reportedly wanted to bring his own staff during the previous Eagles OC interview cycle, which was a non-starter given Jeff Stoutland’s presence and the franchise’s preferences regarding staff autonomy.
His offenses have also shown late-season regression, something fans in Arizona have complained about for years. And unlike other candidates, Kingsbury does not bring a proven track record of hybridizing his scheme with other trees. If the Eagles need answers beyond spread/RPO, those adjustments may not come naturally.
Overall Thoughts
Kingsbury represents real offensive upside, the perfect quarterback fit, but real downside if his system doesn’t evolve. He is arguably the best short-term comfort hire for Hurts, but the least proven long-term builder. The question is whether the Eagles want comfort or reinvention. I have convinced myself that this might be a slam-dunk hire for a year. I’m in.
JOE BRADY
Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Pros
Brady’s scheme blends modern spread passing concepts with heavy use of pre-snap motion, eye-candy, and formation manipulation, but what’s changed over the last two seasons is his adaptability. Under Brady, the Bills had five different players clear 33 receptions, and the offense consistently distributed touches across receivers, backs, and tight ends rather than funneling to a single alpha target. That is particularly useful for a Philadelphia roster that has multiple legitimate weapons and has sometimes been too star-centric.
The evolution of Buffalo’s run game is arguably Brady’s real breakout. He transformed the Bills from a pass-heavy operation into the NFL’s leading rushing offense (2,714 yards) while turning James Cook into a rushing champion and a true multi-phase back. A big part of that shift came through motion. Buffalo showed that Brady’s use of shifts and eye-candy materially improved rushing efficiency and boosted passer rating, particularly on QB-involved run looks. That matters for Hurts, who has historically thrived with designed runs, option constraints, and post-snap leverage advantages rather than pure dropback football. Functionally, Brady has shown he can coach a dual-threat QB at a high level.
Cons
The biggest challenge with Brady isn’t fit, but feasibility. He is one of the hottest names in the hiring cycle and has already drawn head-coaching interviews from multiple organizations, and Buffalo could easily promote him to head coach with Sean McDermott out.
His Carolina stint also lives in the file as a risk note. That history isn’t fatal, but it’s relevant to Philadelphia because a Brady hire would require total alignment between Sirianni and the OC about how committed the offense is to the run game and the QB run game.
Overall Thoughts
Brady represents one of the cleanest schematic fits for what the Eagles need. He would likely get Hurts back into structure and maximize Barkley. However, this feels like a pipe dream this cycle. In another year, or under different circumstances, this might be close to a perfect marriage.
Category 2: The Upside Swing
A choice you make because the ceiling is enticing enough to justify the risk, even if the floor could get messy.
NATE SCHEELHAASE
Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator
Pros
Scheelhaase is a fast-rising figure from the McVay tree and has been heavily credited for the Rams’ passing explosion. The Rams ended up leading the league in passing yards in 2025 and helped elevate both Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua to career peaks
He is seen as a modern thinker who blends pre-snap motion, condensed formations, and personnel multiplicity, and he has earned praise from McVay for his maturity, leadership, and ability to connect with players. His college background at Iowa State also includes real developmental wins with multiple NFL skill players.
Cons
The risk is enormous. He has never called plays at the NFL level, and it’s unclear how much of the Rams’ success should be attributed to McVay versus Scheelhaase’s fingerprints. The Eagles are not an ideal “first coordinator job” environment, with roster turnover, cap transition, and high expectations.
If he is hired to run the ‘McVay offense’, it would likely be a huge transition for Hurts, and it might take time to succeed.
Overall Thoughts
Scheelhaase is fascinating for a long-term offensive identity build, but the Eagles are not positioned for a developmental coordinator experiment. He profiles as a “hire him before he becomes too expensive” candidate for other teams, but likely too risky for this specific situation. I do trust McVay, though!
THOMAS BROWN
New England Patriots passing game coordinator/tight ends coach
Pros
Brown brings an intriguing blend of McVay’s passing DNA and Reich’s West Coast structure, with the added credibility of having called plays and coached quarterbacks. His passing game work with the New England Patriots helped Drake Maye emerge as an MVP candidate in 2025, and his Carolina stint saw Caleb Williams instantly improve once Brown was handed play-calling duties mid-season. Brown also emphasizes tempo, personnel variety, and condensed formations, precisely the areas where the Eagles stagnated in 2025.
Players rave about his ability to hold rooms, communicate clearly, and demand accountability without posturing. He also has ties to Sirianni’s ecosystem through Frank Reich.
Cons
Brown is still a projection in terms of building his own scheme from scratch. He has called plays, but not for a long stretch with a stable environment, and he has not yet been the architect of an offense the way Daboll or McDaniel have. His Chicago interim HC stint also produced poor surface results (1–4), though context matters — the Bears’ situation that year was a collapsing circus.
Overall Thoughts
Brown is one of the most balanced candidates. The more I read about him, the more I like him. He seems very modern, schematically, credible as a teacher, and experienced enough to avoid “first-time caller” variance. If the Eagles wanted a modern approach without going full McVay clone, Brown is really compelling.
CHARLIE WEIS JR.
LSU offensive coordinator
Pros
Weis Jr. brings the most modern college spread DNA of any candidate and has been part of explosive, flexible offenses at FAU, USF, Ole Miss, and now LSU under Lane Kiffin. He has demonstrated adaptability: his 2022 Ole Miss offense was run-first, while his 2024 unit led the nation in passing yardage and fewest turnovers, highlighting his ability to toggle identities rather than forcing personnel to conform to a single style.
Weis Jr. helped introduce pro-style RPO language to Hurts early in his career, and his system directly attacks the exact area Hurts has neglected (intermediate middle of the field), using more crossing concepts. He also brings elite tempo and sequencing, two areas the Eagles have sorely lacked.
Cons
The downside is purely risk profile. Weis Jr. has no NFL play-calling experience, no history building an NFL offense, and no evidence that he can manage situational football against NFL defenses. Can he build a good staff? Hiring a 32-year-old with no professional experience during a win-now window is the kind of risk rebuilding teams take, not teams trying to re-enter the Super Bowl race.
Overall Thoughts
One of the most creative offensive minds on the list and arguably the best fit to build something long-term. But this would be a giant gamble. It would be exciting though…
Category 3: Worth a shot?
A hire that I can’t actively endorse or oppose until more evidence appears, but they are a little tempting…
JOSH GRIZZARD
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator
Pros
Grizzard comes from a fascinating pedigree blend as he has worked under both Mike McDaniel (Shanahan tree) and Liam Coen (McVay tree), giving him exposure to the two most dominant offensive architectures of the last half-decade. He is particularly well-regarded as a pass-game architect. In 2024, as Tampa Bay’s passing game coordinator, the Buccaneers ranked third in the league in passing yards and showed strong structural traits: motion, formation variation, and condensed splits to create leverage in the intermediate and deep areas of the field. Grizzard also ran Tampa’s third-down operation that same year, producing a franchise-record 50.9% third-down conversion rate, leading the NFL and demonstrating advanced situational design rather than empty-efficiency fluff.
Once elevated to OC in 2025, Grizzard leaned hard into explosive-play philosophy. He openly emphasized increasing Baker Mayfield’s air yards and restoring a true vertical element. For an Eagles’ roster that once thrived on explosives but regressed in 2025, this emphasis is not trivial. Grizzard also has a strong QB development résumé across multiple contexts and he also now has one full season of play-calling under his belt.
Cons
The problem with Grizzard’s candidacy is that his first year as a full-time NFL play-caller didn’t validate the hype. The 2025 Buccaneers offense regressed significantly, dropping from a top-three scoring offense in 2024 to 21st in total offense and 18th in scoring the following year. Even adjusting for the Todd Bowles regime context and Baker Mayfield playing poorly, the offense sputtered down the stretch. Tampa went 2–7 to close the year, averaging just 17 PPG over the final three games, and drew criticism for insufficient in-game adjustment and situational play-calling.
The jump from pass-game coordinator to full-field operator includes run game integration, protection management, gameplanning, halftime adjustment, and drive sequencing. His only year controlling the whole machine produced mixed results, and the Eagles are unlikely to have patience for a coordinator who needs to figure things out on the job.
Overall Thoughts
Grizzard offers a modern, motion-forward, explosive-seeking offensive lens that would absolutely update elements of the Eagles’ passing game and situational offense. He’s also one of the more interesting long-term bets within the “young coordinators” cluster because the structure of what he wants to run is aligned with where the league is already drifting. Grizzard may eventually become a strong OC, but asking the Eagles to absorb that developmental curve right now feels like a tough ask.
MIKE KAFKA
Former New York Giants interim head coach
Pros
Kafka has one of the more impressive coaching pedigrees on the list. He trained under Andy Reid, was directly involved in the development of Patrick Mahomes, and was hand-picked by Brian Daboll to run the Giants’ offense, and was eventually elevated to interim HC. His time in New York also displayed adaptability as the Giants finished top-12 in yards in 2025 and climbed to 23.4 PPG under Kafka during his interim stretch, despite major roster limitations and QB instability.
He also has direct experience with mobile quarterbacks, which has been a quiet through-line in his career (Mahomes, Daniel Jones, Jaxson Dart).
Kafka’s system blends modern West Coast route families with spread concepts and a heavier reliance on 11 personnel, which aligns with what Sirianni has historically been comfortable with.
Cons
Kafka’s résumé is solid, but nothing about it screams elite. He is competent, respected, and experienced. In New York, Daboll repeatedly took back play-calling from Kafka, which fairly or unfairly raises questions about whether Kafka was truly driving the offense or merely managing it.
Overall Thoughts
Kafka would raise the floor and give the Eagles a professional OC, but he does not project as a ceiling-raiser. Safe, but maybe not ambitious.
DAVID SHAW
Detroit Lions passing game coordinator
Pros
Shaw brings one of the most impressive résumés in terms of leadership, program-building, and West Coast pedigree. His Stanford tenure produced NFL quarterbacks, tight ends, and offensive linemen at scale, and he is deeply rooted in the Bill Walsh/Gruden/West Coast intellectual lineage, which values progression-based passing, play-action, and heavy-personnel manipulation
His system emphasizes a power run game and ball control passing. Shaw is also tactically more modern than his stereotype suggests. His stint with the Lions as pass game coordinator saw Detroit finish third in explosive plays in 2025, and he showed a willingness to adopt layered shot concepts and compressed formations to manufacture leverage on safeties. For a team that became static and iso-heavy in 2025, this type of structural leverage is valuable.
Cons
The biggest issue with Shaw is NFL play-calling projection. He has never called plays at the professional level despite his collegiate reputation. His offense can also skew conservative and tight-end centric, which may not maximize the Eagles’ elite wide receiver duo. In addition, Shaw’s recent years included a step away from coaching, raising fair questions about how quickly he could re-enter a high-demand coordinator role.
Overall Thoughts
Shaw is an intelligent, steady, highly respected football mind who would raise the floor in terms of structure and adult leadership. But this feels more like a stabilizer with philosophical continuity than a move that modernizes the offense around Hurts.
Category 4: The Hope-and-Pray
A selection driven more by projection, traits, or vibes than by a track record that actually supports the job they’re being asked to do.
BOBBY SLOWIK
Miami Dolphins senior passing game coordinator
Pros
Slowik has legitimate system credibility from the Shanahan/Kubiak tree and orchestrated C.J. Stroud’s sensational rookie season in 2023. His offense features wide zone, play-action, motion, leverage manipulation, and true middle-field passing. These are all areas the Eagles need to reintroduce. His analytical background also means he is aggressive on early downs and sees offense through an efficiency lens that tends to scale.
Cons
The fit with Hurts and the Eagles’ OL is problematic. Slowik’s system demands timing and anticipatory intermediate throws over the middle, which are areas where Hurts has consistently struggled. His run game is wide-zone-based, while Jeff Stoutland has built the Eagles’ identity on inside-zone and power runs for a decade, creating a system mismatch with the current offensive line. Houston also cratered in 2024 in second halves and lost offensive identity, raising questions about whether Slowik can adjust when defenses take away the first answers.
Overall Thoughts
Slowik is a sharp system coach with real future upside, but the marriage to Hurts is awkward, and the marriage to Stoutland is worse. The fit isn’t clean enough for this moment. I don’t think he’s good enough for the schematic change.
DAVIS WEBB
Denver Broncos offensive pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Pros
Webb is one of the youngest rising offensive minds in the league and has already impressed multiple NFL staffs with his attention to detail, quarterback development, and breadth of offensive recall. Sean Payton’s public praise of Webb (including the anecdote about keeping a digital archive of every game plan he’s ever been part of) reflects a coach who has been preparing to coordinate since his playing career. Webb also relates well to quarterbacks due to his own recent playing experience, and there is evidence that he can translate that into on-field execution.
Webb has no prior connection to Sirianni and no ties to the Eagles’ offensive DNA (woohoo), which is both unusual and potentially healthy for a room that has become somewhat insular and badly run over the last two seasons. His background under different offensive structures (Air Raid concepts from his college days, West Coast families in the NFL, and Payton’s highly detailed system) gives him a richer offensive vocabulary than a typical 30-year-old coach. I dislike Sean Payton hugely, but I love the idea of having someone who has worked with him.
Cons
The obvious issue is profile and experience. Webb has no full-time NFL play-calling experience, no history coordinating, and no demonstrated track record of designing whole offensive architectures. He is still in the developmental arc, proving he can own segments of an offense, not the entire building. For a franchise that just watched a first-time play-caller (Brian Johnson) struggle with sequencing, adjustments, and situational football, going even younger and even less experienced would be a hard sell for many fans.
Webb projects as a future coordinator or even head coach, but the Eagles are not a “take a chance on the next young mind” environment. I think they are in a “stabilize and win immediately” environment. That makes the risk profile uncomfortably high.
Overall Thoughts
Webb is someone smart teams should be tracking, and someone a rebuilding club or defensive HC could logically elevate. But for the 2026 Eagles, with ownership expectations, Hurts entering the middle of his contract window, and Sirianni under pressure, Webb is almost certainly too early in his arc.
Category 5: The Recycled Ones
A familiar name that feels like checking a box or filling a vacancy, lacking any real conviction that it meaningfully improves the situation.
FRANK REICH
Stanford senior advisor
Pros
Reich would give Sirianni a mentor, a confidant, and a trusted offensive operator with Super Bowl pedigree. His offenses have historically been quarterback-friendly, heavy on answers vs. coverage, and capable of producing efficient football without needing elite perimeter talent. He has deep institutional ties to the building and can teach offense, not just call plays.
Cons
Reich is the most underwhelming candidate relative to the stated needs. He offers stability but not innovation, intelligence but not reinvention. At 64, questions remain about how much grind he has left, and his recent HC stints haven’t worked out. In a cycle where high-end coordinators are available, Reich feels like the comfortable option.
Overall Thoughts
Reich would stabilize the room and protect Sirianni, but likely wouldn’t deliver the offensive evolution the team needs. I don’t think this is what we need.
JIM BOB COOTER
Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator
Pros
Cooter brings NFL play-calling experience, true QB development background, and a reputation for tailoring offense to personnel rather than imposing a fixed identity. His Detroit tenure saw Matthew Stafford play some of his most efficient football, and his recent stint with the Colts produced a top-10 offense in both points and yards despite quarterback instability
Cooter is a mechanics-first coach who emphasizes defined footwork, quick game sequencing, and stress-free throws. I think he could coach Hurts in areas where he could benefit.
He also has strong relational equity with Sirianni and a preexisting language overlap, which reduces the transition. There is an argument that Cooter could stabilize the offense without forcing the team into a developmental season.
Cons
The perception problem is legit. Cooter would be seen as a continuity hire in a moment where fans want actual reinvention. There is also a ceiling concern. He is respected, but not considered one of the league’s offensive architects. Hiring Cooter may produce competence but not transformation. His offenses have also skewed toward efficiency over explosiveness.
Overall Thoughts
If the Eagles want a competent veteran who won’t break the offense and can stabilize Hurts, Cooter is one of the safest picks. But if the mandate is to reinvent the offense’s identity, he is unlikely to satisfy that brief. This hire would focus on establishing a functional baseline. It would feel like a Sirianni hire. Which, you may hate…
MATT NAGY
Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator
Pros
Nagy offers perhaps the cleanest, most experienced adult with a background in play-calling. He has coordinated under Andy Reid, won NFL Coach of the Year with the Bears, gotten to the playoffs with Mitchell Trubisky, and returned to Kansas City to help run the post-Mahomes offense. His scheme blends modernized West Coast elements with RPOs, motion, and layered route combinations, and his offenses have historically been strong in the red zone due to horizontal and vertical stretch concepts
He has also worked with dual-threat quarterbacks and has a proven infrastructure for QB development.
Nagy’s route combinations, pre-snap usage, and RPO sequencing would instantly modernize elements of a passing game that became static and iso-heavy in 2025. Hurts would benefit from a more structured progression menu, and Barkley would fit Nagy’s preference for versatile RB usage.
Cons
The downside is that Nagy’s public stock has dropped since leaving Chicago. KC’s offense stagnated at times during his second stint, and while much of that was personnel-related, some of it raised questions about whether Nagy has evolved or whether he is still running a slightly dated version of Reid’s architecture.
Nagy provides structure and competency, but does he provide much else? If the Eagles want to fix their offense for 2026 and beyond, not just 2026, that question is fair.
Overall Thoughts
Nagy is one of the safer hires on the board and represents a credible veteran who can raise the floor and professionalize the operation. But he may not fundamentally reinvent the offense. It feels a bit boring, rightly or wrongly.
ZAC ROBINSON
Former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator
Pros
Robinson has real play-calling experience from Atlanta and a strong lineage from the McVay tree, especially in the run game and motion-based structure. In 2024, he helped deliver a top-10 offense with Bijan Robinson leading the NFL in scrimmage yards and Kyle Pitts rebounding into a mismatch weapon
His system leans into stretch zone, wide zone, pre-snap motion, and condensed formations. These are all elements that would modernize the Eagles’ offense and introduce stress points against two-high structures.
Cons
The 2025 collapse undercuts his candidacy. The Falcons fell to 24th in scoring, and neither Michael Penix Jr. nor Kirk Cousins looked comfortable in the offense. That raised concerns about QB development. And schematically, wide zone does not cleanly map onto the Eagles’ OL DNA, which under Jeff Stoutland has been inside-zone and power-driven for nearly a decade. That creates either a personnel problem or a philosophical compromise.
Overall Thoughts
Robinson is intriguing if the Eagles want to import McVay-style structure and motion elements, but the QB question and run-game mismatch are real friction points. I can’t see this working.
Category 6: No No No
A hire where the likely outcome is disappointment, with limited upside and an obvious downside that’s been visible from the jump.
GREG ROMAN
Former Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator
Pros
Roman is one of the most successful run-game designers of the last 15 years, with top-three rushing offenses in 9 of 11 seasons across San Francisco, Buffalo, and Baltimore. His offenses are diverse in the QB run game, option structure, and misdirection elements, and he has proven multiple times that he can build around dual-threat quarterbacks. From a pure “maximize Hurts as a runner” standpoint, Roman is arguably the best single fit available.
There is also an argument that Roman could help restore the backbone of the Eagles’ offense: physicality, under-center packaging, and quarterback-inclusive run design. And if the Eagles envisioned a post–A.J. Brown roster that consolidates targets to DeVonta Smith and plays bully ball with Saquon Barkley, Roman’s structure makes philosophical sense.
Cons
The passing game is the problem. And, it’s a big one. Roman’s passing concepts are notoriously boring, plain, and have been criticized by players as overly simplistic. His offenses tend to funnel targets to a single primary receiving threat while neglecting wide receiver depth. The Eagles already employ Jeff Stoutland as run game architect. Roman would either require Stoutland to cede control or result in scheme overlap, wasting a coordinator hire.
Roman’s postseason record is also alarming. His last five playoff games produced only 10 PPG, with multiple defenses calling out the predictability of his schemes.
Overall Thoughts
Roman makes Hurts’ running game terrifying and the offense physical, but likely stalls the passing dimension the modern NFL requires. The redundancy with Stoutland makes the fit even tighter. This would be a huge gamble on the run game carrying the team next year.
JOSH MCCOWN
Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach
Pros
McCown has been a known coaching candidate for years, even while he was still playing. Multiple organizations viewed him as a future OC or HC dating back to his Eagles stint in 2019–2020. His time in Minnesota as QB coach has enhanced that profile, as he drew praise for helping resuscitate Sam Darnold’s career. McCown also understands locker rooms as well as anyone on this list because he has lived every version of the quarterback experience (QB1, backup, injuries, journeyman, mentor).
Cons
Like Webb, McCown has no real play-calling history and no evidence that he can design a full offensive system. The QB coach to OC jump is one of the hardest jumps in the NFL because the job fundamentally changes. It’s no longer about one room, but about scripting, protections, sequencing, run game, solutions vs. coverage families, red zone, and 2-minute football. McCown may end up a strong coordinator one day, but he has not yet demonstrated the structural part of the job.
There is also the question of whether the Eagles are past the point of hiring “teacher profiles” and need actual system-builders instead.
Overall Thoughts
Great communicator, great teacher, intriguing leader, but still a huge projection. Philly is not the right context for that projection.
ARTHUR SMITH
Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator
Pros
Smith is a proven play-caller with a committed offensive identity. He runs a lot of wide zone, heavy personnel, play-action, and horizontal displacement from under center. He has elevated multiple running backs, helped Tannehill produce his most efficient football, and worked with athletic quarterbacks, including Tannehill, Fields, and Russell Wilson
For Hurts, the under-center structure matters. Hurts was quietly excellent when operating from under center last year, and Smith would force that structure onto the offense in a way Sirianni never committed to.
Cons
The primary concern is that Smith’s offense compresses the passing game and can feel philosophically repressive for quarterbacks with aggressive instincts. His Atlanta tenure produced consistent frustration over weapon usage, and his scheme does not naturally generate explosive passing without a run-game threat. Smith is also not a modernizer; he’s a traditionalist. The Eagles may not want to hire a coordinator whose philosophy leans backward relative to league trends.
Overall Thoughts
Smith is one of the safest pure “floor” hires in terms of competence and run-game structure. But he does not solve the explosive passing problem and would require buy-in for a more conservative offensive identity. I wouldn’t like this.
Final Thoughts
This is a fascinating hire. Will the Eagles hand over real control to get a serious OC? I don’t particularly like the group of candidates overall (although I think the top 4 are very strong), but there are a lot of interesting names. What matters is whether they’re ready to hand someone the keys and actually get Nick Sirianni out of the way and change this offense. If they do, the offense can get back to being a strength. If not, next year could be a tough watch, once again. I’m ready for something new.
Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here!
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