Fox TV Host: Eagles Should Fire Sirianni, Hire Patriots' Belichick!
When it comes to Bill Belichick's post-New England Patriots career, Craig Carton believes that the bird's the word.
The outspoken FS1 TV host presented an unconventional coaching idea on Wednesday's edition of "The Carton Show," calling for the Philadelphia Eagles to fire current coach Nick Sirianni and hire Belichick if New England opts to move on after 24 years.
"If I'm Philly and it doesn't go right, I'll be the first team to try to beat the (Los Angeles) Chargers to the phone and bring Bill Belichick in," Carton said. "They would love him in Philadelphia."
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Carton goes on to compare the idea of Belichick getting released from New England to actress/model Pamela Anderson's divorce from musician Tommy Lee, reasoning that "every good-looking guy with money" would "take (his) shot with the popular Anderson."
Claims Carton: "All of a sudden Pamela Anderson is going to be available and her name is Bill Belichick."
Philadelphia stands as one of Belichick's most formidable adversaries, particularly in the Super Bowl: his Patriots prevailed in a 24-21 final in the game's 39th edition in 2005 but the Eagles earned revenge 13 years later with a 41-33 win in Super Bowl LII.
Sirianni has held the Eagles' head coaching spot since 2021. In that span, Philadelphia has amassed a 34-16 record, tied with Buffalo for the third-best tally in the league (behind only Kansas City, San Francisco, and Dallas). The former offensive coordinator from Indianapolis took Philadelphia to the cusp of another Super Bowl win last season, narrowly falling to the aforementioned Kansas City Chiefs 38-35.
But the current Eagles (11-5) have struggled after a 10-1 start, dropping four of their past five and losing control of their divisional destiny despite having wrapped up a playoff spot: they can still win the NFC East with a win on Sunday over the New York Giants (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS) but would also need the Dallas Cowboys to fall to the Washington Commanders.
Even with Sirianni's success, Carton believes that the Eagles would at least consider cutting him loose barring a lengthy playoff run. He cites the team's firing of the coach who won the previous Super Bowl, Doug Pederson, only two years after the Vince Lombardi Trophy hoist as historical precedent.
"It's easy to say (that) the guy has not had a bad year at all, they're in the playoffs, and they decide to run the ball, I wouldn't be shocked if the Eagles win one or two playoff games or get back to the NFC Championship Game, because who else is much better than them?" Carton said. "But the reality is that, in the moment, a lot of decisions get made, and they get made based on the motions and not pragmatic thought.
"That's why, right now, there's enough blood and chum in the water where, if they lose to the Giants this weekend ... if they lose in the first round of the playoffs, I would not be shocked (to see him fired)."
Philadelphia is blessed with a high-octane offense headlined by AJ Brown, Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, and D'Andre Swift but has struggled mightily on defense, letting up over 352 per game (currently 23rd in the NFL). If both New England and Philadelphia indeed sought changes, the Eagles are well-off enough to fulfill Belichick's ultimate career-closing desires: a chance at another championship and a realistic shot at removing Don Shula from the top of the NFL's all-time coaching wins list.
In the meantime, Belichick's potential final game at the helm of the Patriots (4-12) also lands on Sunday when Foxborough host the New York Jets (1 p.m. ET, Fox).
