Eagles Update: Sean Mannion Hired as OC, Josh Grizzard Added

Full Show Recap: Friday, January 30, 2026

The Birds 365 Friday show was dominated by one massive story: the Philadelphia Eagles have officially hired Sean Mannion as their new offensive coordinator, ending a 17-day coaching search. Hosts the host and the host spent the bulk of the program analyzing the hire from every angle, with NJ.com's Kaden Steele joining as a guest to add his perspective.

Then, in a breaking news moment during the show itself, the Eagles added another piece to the offensive puzzle — hiring Josh Grizzard as their new pass game coordinator. Two of the four finalists for the OC job are now on staff.

The Sean Mannion Hire

Mannion, 33 years old, becomes the Eagles' offensive coordinator with just two years of NFL coaching experience and zero play-calling experience at any level. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Oregon State, where he set the Pac-12 career passing yards record with 13,600 yards and 83 touchdowns. He played eight seasons in the NFL with the Rams, Vikings, and Seahawks, absorbing knowledge from coaches like Sean McVay, Kevin O'Connell, Kevin Stefanski, and Klint Kubiak.

Matt LaFleur hired Mannion as a Packers offensive assistant in 2024, then promoted him to quarterbacks coach the following year. Just last week, he served as the West team's offensive coordinator in the East-West Shrine Bowl.

McMullen was struck by how aggressively the Eagles branded this as a Nick Sirianni decision, noting the long statements from Sirianni both when Kevin Patullo was let go and when Mannion was hired. McMullen drew a direct comparison to the Chip Kelly era, suggesting the organization may be giving Sirianni enough rope to either succeed or seal his fate.

The Final Four and Search Context

The final four candidates for the OC job were Sean Mannion, Jim Bob Cooter, Josh Grizzard, and Jared Johnson. The Eagles' original top targets — Mike McDaniel and Brian Daboll — both went in different directions, leaving the organization to pivot. Both Krause and McMullen acknowledged this wasn't how the Eagles envisioned the search going, but agreed Mannion was the best option among the final four.

the comparison was made the hire to Washington's similar move with David Blough, who went from assistant quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator with the Commanders — an even thinner coaching resume than Mannion's.

What Will the Offense Look Like?

McMullen was emphatic that the Eagles are not going to install a Shanahan or McVay-style offense. He argued that good coaches adapt to their personnel, pointing to how Kellen Moore adjusted his approach when he arrived in Philadelphia. The framework of the Eagles offense will remain largely the same, built around Jalen Hurts' strengths.

The top priorities identified by McMullen: improve the running game and get Jalen Hurts' legs back into the equation. it was emphasized that Hurts being a running threat is what puts defenses in conflict and opens up the entire offense. Taking that element away — whoever was responsible — was a mistake last season.

Kaden Steele's Take

NJ.com's Kaden Steele joined the show and offered cautious optimism. He praised Mannion's pedigree, having been around elite offensive coaches like LaFleur, McVay, O'Connell, Dave Canales, and Grant Udinsky. Steele noted the Malik Willis comparison — when Mannion's Packers had to pivot from Jordan Love to Willis, the staff adapted the scheme to emphasize Willis's legs and efficiency (Willis went 18-of-21 for 288 yards against Baltimore in one start).

Steele also raised an interesting possibility: the offense could lose significant talent this offseason. A.J. Brown may want a fresh start, Dallas Goedert could leave in free agency, and Lane Johnson is aging. If the roster gets thinner, the Eagles will need a schematic advantage for the first time in a long time — and that may be exactly why they went with Mannion's upside.

Breaking News: Josh Grizzard Hired

Late in the show, news broke that the Eagles hired Josh Grizzard as their pass game coordinator. Grizzard, approximately 35 years old, served as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator in 2025 after being promoted when Liam Cohen departed. The Buccaneers' offensive numbers declined under Grizzard — scoring fell from 4th to 18th, passing from 3rd to 15th, and rushing from 4th to 20th — but McMullen noted significant injuries to Mike Evans and Bucky Irving as mitigating factors.

McMullen was initially concerned about whether Grizzard — who has more play-calling experience than Mannion — could overshadow the new OC, but ultimately felt the pairing was reasonable since both coaches are similarly young and inexperienced. He contrasted it favorably with the Sean Desai/Matt Patricia situation, where a much more experienced coach was brought in to shadow the defensive coordinator.

Parks Frazier, the previous pass game coordinator, is expected to be moved from that role, though he could potentially shift to quarterbacks coach.

Staff Outlook

McMullen expects more offensive staff turnover beyond just the coordinator and pass game coordinator roles. Jeff Stoutland, 63, has considered retirement in the past and his return may depend on whether he wants to work under another new OC. Christian Parker has departed for the Cowboys. McMullen emphasized that this is a natural cycle in the NFL — everyone has a shelf life — and the Eagles prioritized getting fresh perspectives from outside the organization.

Kevin Patullo's status remains unclear. McMullen expects him to leave but noted that if Patullo wants to return, it would likely be in an administrative or associate head coach-type role rather than anything offense-related.

The Bottom Line

The consensus from the show: this is a risky but bold move. Krause likes the hire. McMullen called it the most interesting option of the final four. Steele said he always prefers ceiling over floor. But all three agreed — if this doesn't work, it's not just the OC who's gone. Nick Sirianni's tenure in Philadelphia is directly tied to Sean Mannion's success.

Listen & Watch

Catch the full episode of Birds 365 on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Subscribe to the Birds 365 channel for daily Eagles coverage throughout the offseason.

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