If Brian Johnson Isn't Promoted to OC, Where Else Could Eagles Turn?

PHILADELPHIA - For the first time in a decade, an NFL team has lost both of its coordinators to head-coaching positions and for the Eagles, the conundrum manifested itself in one day.

Indianapolis made it official with offensive coordinator Shane Steichen Tuesday morning and hours later Arizona pulled the trigger on DC Jonathan Gannon.

Philadelphia's Nick Sirianni is the first coach since Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis after the 2013 season to lose both his coordinators to head-coaching positions (Jay Gruden to Washington and Mike Zimmer to Minnesota).

It hasn't happened to a Super Bowl participant since 1994 when San Francisco lost Mike Shanahan to Denver and Ray Rhodes to the Eagles.

Although it looks sudden to the public at times, the Eagles have known for days that Steichen was headed to Indy, and the scuttlebutt on Gannon landing with the Cardinals really picked up before the Super Bowl in Phoenix, barring a late snag with Arizona owner Bill Bidwell.

The Eagles did try to convince Gannon to stay, indicating a succession plan on the defensive side is far shakier than the offense where quarterbacks coach and Jalen Hurts confidant Brian Johnson is expected to be elevated to the OC role.

Johnson has also received interest elsewhere for OC jobs, however, so contingencies need to be in place in case something derails Plan A.

5 NAMES WHO COULD REPLACE STEICHEN

OC1 - Eagles QB coach Brian Johnson - The one hiccup here could be play-calling.

Sirianni and Steichen have a long history together and the head coach was secure in the knowledge that Steichen would carry out his vision. Sirianni also stated that he could resume play-calling if Steichen were to leave.

There's a big difference between could and will, however, but Sirianni doesn't have a long history with Johnson and it was the organization that brought the emerging young coaching star to Sirianni back in 2021.

The path to this blowing up is very small but a promotion to OC without play-calling could be seen as a slight by Johnson if another job with play-calling duties is out there.

The likelihood of that is very small, though, because the Eagles want to keep Hurts happy

OC2 - Eagles passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo - With Steichen gone, Patullo is Sirianni's full-fledged consigliare.

Remember in 2021 when Sirianni came down with a case of COVID-19, it was Patullo who was going to be the head coach if Sirianni was not cleared.

Being passed over for OC, however, would mean that the Eagles could not block Patullo from another OC job like say with Steichen in Indianapolis. Perhaps there is a gentleman's agreement among the three but the ability to advance his career could force Patullo to look elsewhere.

OC3 - Eagles consultant Marcus Brady - The former OC in Indianapolis, the Eagles brought in Brady as a consultant after the Colts fired him. Brady's role was to help Gannon by explaining how offenses would likely attack the different defensive looks Philadelphia was giving them.

Brady has experience in the role and a head start with the Eagles organization.

OC4 - Alabama OC Tommy Rees - The former Notre Dame OC hasn't even coached his first game with Alabama yet, but Sirianni is a big fan of the former Fighting Irish quarterback from the year they spent together in 2016 with the Chargers.

Sirianni asks Rees every year if he's ready to jump back in the pros and has said there would be a spot waiting if he wants it. There is also precedent for coaches taking college jobs and then backing out when an NFL calls. Current assistant head coach/running backs Jemal Singleton was hired to be the RB coach at Kentucky in January of 2021 only to reverse course a month later when the Eagles' offer came.

OC5 - Jacksonville passing game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter - Cooter was a special projects consultant for Sirianni in 2021 and the head coach would often talk about how important Cooter was to the success of the staff that season.

With Steichen, Patullo, and Johnson entrenched, Sirianni had no room to promote Cooter, who went to Jacksonville as Doug Pederson's passing game coordinator. Sirianni, though, lamented losing Cooter, who has OC experience with Detroit and was recently interviewed by Frank Reich in Carolina for the Panthers OC job.

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen