Jeffrey Lurie Appreciates Sirianni’s Grind

Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie met with reporters today for his “State of the Eagles” press conference, and he made it clear that he thoroughly evaluated Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni following the team’s disastrous conclusion to the season.

“We go through a very intensive process,” Lurie said. “This season was no different.”

Lurie harped on the team’s inability to be resilient at the end of the year.

Despite the ending, though, Lurie indicated that the review is of the season as a whole, not just of the last six games.

“There’s no recency bias, there’s no latency bias, there’s no bias,” Lurie flatly stated. “That doesn’t take away from the hard look at the disappointment and frustration as it ended, so I don’t mean to diminsh that in the slightest, because I don’t. I lived that, and I care.”

For Lurie, though, he praised Sirianni for his authenticity and for his ability to understand the details of running the team.

“You want to have people that are driven to succeed and be able to manage that and give them a lot of responsibility,” Lurie said, “and at the same time be a grinder so that you can get into the weeds, like Nick does, and be able to really assess where things are at all times.”

Lurie also shared similar praise of Quarterback Jalen Hurts, and was critical of accounts that panned Hurts’ leadership style in the locker room.

“He’s an excellent, excellent example,” Lurie said. “There were times when we were 10-1, people said ‘Oh, it’s because of Jalen’s stoicism and calm under the storm that we’re 10-1 and we won those close games,’ and then we lose a few, and it’s ‘Oh, maybe he’s not so demonstrative or whatever. I love the way Jalen is.”

One of the biggest changes that is slated to be made this season is handing over more offensive responsibility to new Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore. Lurie indicated that he doesn’t like to talk about the exact science of what the team looks for in a head coach, but he does look for more than just being able to call plays.

“If you go back to who I’ve hired as head coach, with the exception of Chip Kelly, I’ve never hired a head coach who’s really called any plays,” Lurie recalled. “I’ve always prioritized as a head coach many other qualities.”

Lurie indicated that the managerial role is one of the things he puts a higher value on.

“The most important aspect fo a head coach is the managerial role,” he said. “Who you surround yourself with is going to determine a lot of your success.”

To that end, Lurie mentioned that the hiring of Moore was heavily influenced by Sirianni, explaining that the decision to move on from the current coordinators originated from Nick and calling Moore Nick’s first choice. Lurie then reiterated the trust that he has in his head coach.

“If Nick says we need to have a more dynamic offense or we need to have a defense in a different direction,” Lurie explained, “I listen because I have trust.”

While Lurie praised Sirianni for his work ethic, he was also critical of the decision to relieve former Defensive Coordinator Sean Desai of playcalling responsibilities.

“I think it didn’t work,” Lurie bluntly stated. “I applaud the aggressiveness and attempt, and I would say in conclusion that it didn’t work the way it was expected to work.”

While he did criticize that decision, it didn’t impact the overarching evaluation and trust that he has in his coach.