The Philadelphia Eagles are maintaining continuity on offense after their Super Bowl-winning season, promoting passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo to fill their vacant offensive coordinator position. Head coach Nick Sirianni announced the move on Wednesday, just weeks after the Eagles hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.
Patullo, 43, replaces Kellen Moore, who departed to become the head coach of the New Orleans Saints shortly after the Eagles’ triumphant Super Bowl run. The internal promotion ensures a level of stability for budding superstar quarterback Jalen Hurts, though it marks his fifth different playcaller in as many seasons.
Sirianni’s Trusted Lieutenant
Kevin Patullo has been a vital cog in Sirianni’s coaching machine, with their partnership dating back to shared time with the Indianapolis Colts from 2018-2020. When Sirianni took the Eagles’ head job in 2021, Patullo was one of his first hires as passing game coordinator.
Their synergy has been essential to Philadelphia’s high-flying offense over the past two seasons. Sirianni sung Patullo’s praises earlier this month:
“[He has been] very important to the success that we’ve had. He wears a lot of different hats. Helps me with different things, with head coaching things. I can’t tell you I make a decision without saying to Kevin first, ‘What do you think?’ That continuity is really important because he knows what I’m thinking in certain situations, how you want things to be taught, all those different things.”
– Nick Sirianni, Eagles head coach
Hurts’ Revolving Door of Coordinators
For Jalen Hurts, adapting to new offensive coordinators has become an annual tradition. Patullo will be his fifth playcaller in five NFL seasons, a staggering lack of continuity for a young quarterback. However, Hurts expressed confidence in Patullo’s promotion:
“I have a lot of confidence in him and what he’s shown. However, I’ve learned over the years [the offensive coordinator decision] is out of my jurisdiction. So just kind of taking things as they come and trying to go out there and be the best I can be and just learn and evolve.”
– Jalen Hurts, Eagles quarterback
Avoiding the Johnson Misstep
The Eagles hope Patullo fares better than their last in-house offensive coordinator promotion. In 2022, they elevated Brian Johnson, a friend of the Hurts family, to replace the departed Shane Steichen. The result was a disjointed offense that factored heavily into the team’s late-season swoon in 2023.
Determined not to repeat that mistake, Sirianni handed the reins to Kellen Moore in 2024, establishing a formidable ground attack spearheaded by Saquon Barkley. The Eagles rode that rushing dominance to a long winning streak and ultimately, a Super Bowl championship.
The Patullo Plan: Evolution or Revolution?
The central question facing Patullo is whether to continue the smashmouth identity that fueled the Eagles’ title run or revert to the pass-heavy Air Raid system that initially elevated Hurts to stardom. With an elite offensive line and a true workhorse in Barkley, doubling down on the run game would seem the prudent choice.
However, Hurts is at his most dynamic when utilizing run-pass options and pushing the ball downfield. Expect Patullo to blend concepts and tailor game plans to exploit specific matchups. Finding that optimal run-pass balance will be critical to keeping Hurts in MVP form and the Eagles atop the NFL mountain.
The NFL is a copycat league, and after the Eagles and 49ers rode dominant rushing attacks to the precipice of glory, more teams will surely try to ground and pound their way to contention. But with a unicorn talent like Hurts under center, Patullo would be wise not to put the ball on the ground too often.
The Bottom Line
Kevin Patullo stepping in as offensive coordinator provides the Eagles schematic continuity and a play-caller already simpatico with the head coach. His chief charge will be maximizing Jalen Hurts’ rare dual-threat abilities while sustaining the dominant run game that became the offense’s bread and butter down the stretch.
- Stability at the controls: Patullo’s long-running relationship with Sirianni and experience in the Eagles’ offense should smooth the transition.
- Unleashing Hurts: Finding the sweet spot between a bruising ground game and an explosive aerial attack is paramount.
- No sophomore slump: After riding a late-season surge to Super Bowl glory, Patullo must prove last year’s rushing renaissance was no fluke.
The road to a repeat is arduous, and the loss of Kellen Moore can’t be understated. But if Patullo can build upon the offense’s multi-faceted success and put his own spin on an attack perfectly suited for Jalen Hurts’ rare talents, the Eagles may just find themselves back in the Super Bowl spotlight sooner than later.
