John Fox Provides Precedent for Possible Nick Sirianni Dismissal
The future of Nick Sirianni as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles has dominated the conversation following the 2023 season. Will he return after the monumental collapse?
“You’re not firing a coach who has been to the playoffs every year he’s coached that team.” -Adam Schefter
The successful resume of a head coach with a 34-17 regular-season record, three playoff appearances in three seasons, and one Super Bowl appearance doesn’t create an obvious need for a change. However, if Jeffrey Lurie pulls the plug, it wouldn’t be unprecedented.
John Fox, Broncos Part Ways
Former NFL head coach John Fox reached the Super Bowl with a surprise victory in the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field in his second season with Carolina Panthers.
He achieved similar success with the Denver Broncos in his second stop as a head coach. Tim Tebow reached stardom in Fox’s first season in 2011. Although the 8-8 Broncos never looked like a serious championship contender, Fox deserved credit for maximizing talent and winning a playoff game with a quarterback who wasn’t an effective passer at the NFL level.
The addition of Peyton Manning helped the Broncos step into the top tier of the NFL. They posted 13-3 records in consecutive seasons. The 2013 Broncos finished with the highest points per game average in the Super Bowl era at 37.9. They led the league with +207 point differential. However, they fell to the Seattle Seahawks in a disappointing 43-8 blowout in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Fox also led the Broncos to a 12-4 record and a first-round bye in 2014. They suffered a 24-13 loss against the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional Round. It was the second time in three seasons they had opened up the postseason with a home loss.
A 46-18 record, a Super Bowl appearance, and four AFC West titles in four seasons in Dever didn’t save his job. Fox and John Elway sat down for a lengthy meeting after the upset loss. They mutually decided to part ways.
According to the Denver Post, Fox wasn’t satisfied with his lack of authority in draft and roster decisions. Disagreements about the offensive strategy late in 2014 season also contributed to the decision. Gary Kubiak took over and led the Broncos to a victory in Super Bowl L after the following season.
The Future of Nick Sirianni
The Eagles have followed a similar track under Nick Sirianni since 2021 as the Broncos did under John Fox. Sirianni led Philadelphia to a 9-8 record and a playoff appearance in his first season. The Eagles relied heavily on the running game with a formula that didn’t look sustainable for long-term contention.
The progress was comparable to the Tim Tebow miracle season. Both seasons were good steps forward under new head coaches for developing teams that still had a lot of room for roster upgrades and a new level of success.
Nick Sirianni then utilized the advantage of major personnel upgrades in 2022 to help the Eagles to an appearance in the Super Bowl, just like John Fox did with Peyton Manning in 2012 and 2013. The Eagles plowed through their competition with dominance, albeit to a lesser extent than the 2013 Broncos.
Sirianni’s third season in Philadelphia aligns reasonably with Fox’s fourth season in Denver. The Eagles finished 11-6 in 2023. The record doesn’t tell the whole story of how the team performed relative to expectations, and it doesn’t necessarily indicate that the best head coach to lead them to future success is in charge.
NFL organizations make decisions based on what they think will help their teams moving forward. Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman have moved on from Andy Reid and Doug Pederson without supreme loyalty based solely on the previous accomplishments of the respective head coaches.
Why would they think any differently in the case of Nick Sirianni?
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Philadelphia Eagles Projected Week 18 Starters
Jalen Hurts
Quarterback, #1
Oklahoma University/University of Alabama
4th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (53rd overall) in 2020D'Andre Swift
Running Back, #0
University of Georgia
4th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Detroit Lions (April 2023)A.J. Brown
Wide Receiver, #11
Ole Miss
5th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Tennessee Titans (April 2022)Julio Jones
Wide Receiver, #80
University of Alabama
13th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (October 2023)Olamide Zaccheaus
Wide Receiver, #13
University of Virginia
5th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (April 2023)Dallas Goedert
Tight End, #88
South Dakota St.
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (48th overall) in 2018Jordan Mailata
Left Tackle, #68
Jeff Stoutland University
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 7th Round (233rd overall) in 2018Landon Dickerson
Left Guard, #69
University of Alabama
3rd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (37th overall) in 2021Jason Kelce
Center, #62
University of Cincinnati
13th NFL Season- Drafted in 6th Round (191st overall) in 2011Cam Jurgens
Right Guard, #51
University of Nebraska
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (51st overall) in 2022Lane Johnson
Left Tackle, #69
Oklahoma University
11th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (4th overall) in 2013Josh Sweat
Defensive End, #94
Florida State
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 4th Round (130th overall) in 2018Fletcher Cox
Defensive Tackle, #91
Mississippi State
12th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (12th overall) in 2012Jordan Davis
Defensive Tackle, #90
University of Georgia
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (13th overall) in 2022Haason Reddick
Edge Rusher/Linebacker, #7
Temple University
7th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (March 2022)Zach Cunningham
Linebacker, #52
Vanderbilt University
7th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (August 2023)Shaquille Leonard
Linebacker, #50
South Carolina St.
6th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (December 2023)Kelee Ringo
Cornerback, #22
University of Georgia
1st NFL Season, Drafted in 4th Round (105th Overall) in 2023James Bradberry
Cornerback, #24
University of Arkansas/Samford University
8th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (May 2022)Avonte Maddox
Cornerback, #29
University of Pittsburgh
Drafted in 4th Round (125th overall) in 2018Kevin Byard
Safety, #31
Middle Tennessee State
8th NFL Season, Acquired in trade from Tennessee Titans (October 2023)Reed Blankenship
Safety, #32
Middle Tennessee State
2nd NFL Season- Signed as Undrafted Free Agent (May 2022)
