Eagles Brand Mannion as 'Nick's Hire': The End-of-Chip-Kelly Feel
John McMullen's immediate reaction to the Mannion hire drew a pointed comparison to the final days of Chip Kelly — and a warning that the clock has officially started on Nick Sirianni.
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When the news broke that Sean Mannion had been named Eagles offensive coordinator, the host's first reaction on Birds 365 wasn't about Mannion himself — it was about the messaging around the hire.
The Branding Was the Story
"It was striking how much the Eagles branded this as a Nick Sirianni decision," it was noted. "From start to finish, they branded it. You didn't hear hide nor hair from Howie. Jeffrey's not talking. You got the big statement from Nick Sirianni at the start of it and the big statement from Nick Sirianni at the end of it."
McMullen drew a direct parallel to the end of the Chip Kelly era: "This reminds me of Chip Kelly at the end, when Jeffrey Lurie after the fact said, 'I had to see what I had.' In other words, I had to give him this power to see what I really had."
The Clock Has Started
"The clock has officially started," McMullen declared. "This is his hire. This is his opportunity to kickstart this offense. And if this doesn't work, you're going to be hearing, 'Well, I had to give Nick the opportunity to prove that he could do it. And unfortunately, we're looking for a new head coach.'"
the host agreed with the assessment: "They're isolating Nick. So they can fire him easily next year."
The Least Experienced Hire Possible
McMullen also couldn't help noting the irony: "All anybody was talking about — gotta get experience. Gotta get it. And then they take the least experienced guy humanly possible." It's a contradiction that defines this hire: an organization desperate for offensive improvement rolling the dice on a coach with 24 months of NFL coaching experience and zero play-calling reps.
Watch the full Birds 365 reaction on YouTube
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• Nick Sirianni's Make-or-Break Moment: The Eagles Branded the Mannion Hire as His Decision
• Eagles Update: Sean Mannion Hired as OC, Josh Grizzard Added
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