Eagles Firing Coach Brian Johnson Per ‘All Indications’: Report
Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson could officially be out the door as the team continues to make changes to its coaching staff.
Per Derrick Gunn of JAKIB Sports, signs are pointing to the Eagles parting ways with Johnson soon.
“All indications are Brian Johnson will not be returning as the Eagles OC,” Gunn tweeted. “He will land elsewhere in some offensive capacity.”
On another note, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Jan. 10 that the Carolina Panthers were "expected" to interview Johnson for their coaching vacancy. Less than two weeks later, it appears that their coaching search isn't going to end up involving the 36-year-old.
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Joe Person of The Athletic hears that after doing 11 first-round interviews, the Panthers are proceeding to the second round of their coaching search without interviewing Johnson. The exact reason the Panthers changed their mind on evaluating whether Johnson could be a fit for their job is unclear.
The reality, though, is that it would be a tough sell for any team to hire Johnson as their coach right now given that it feels unlikely that he's going to return as offensive coordinator for the Eagles. That doesn't mean Johnson didn't do a good job as quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2022, or that he won't go on to have success as a play caller elsewhere. But right now, the stink of the 2023 Eagles collapse is on Johnson, as it a regression from quarterback Jalen Hurts after the departure of his predecessor Shane Steichen.
Over the weekend, the Eagles reportedly fired defensive coordinator Sean Desai, and while it was couched in nicer terms, seemed to inform Matt Patricia that his services also wouldn't be needed moving forward.
So why, if Johnson feels all-but certain not to be back as offensive coordinator, has he not been fired yet? It's possible the Eagles are holding out hope that the Tennessee Titans, who did interview Johnson Friday, will pick him as their next coach. Not only would that save Sirianni from having to fire Johnson, but it would also net the Eagles compensatory third-round selections in each of the next two NFL Drafts.
In an attempt to address the lack of diversity in coaching hires, the NFL implemented a system in 2020 that rewards teams who develop minority coaching candidates and have them hired away to become the coach elsewhere. Johnson is Black.
The guess here is Johnson won't ultimately get the Titans job, and then the Eagles will dismiss him. But they are motivated to let the process play out first, perhaps an unintended consequence of a well-intended rule.
