The Mannion Pick Exposes Eagles' Priorities: 'A Nick Hire, Not a Jalen Hire'

The Verdict: Hired for the Coach, Not the Quarterback

Moments after the news broke that Sean Mannion would be the Eagles' new offensive coordinator, the analysis delivered his sharpest assessment of the hire on The National Football Show — and it had nothing to do with Mannion's qualifications.

"My gut feeling — it's a Nick hire. It's not a Jalen Hurts hire. This is a Nick Sirianni hire. They don't hire coordinators for Jalen. Because if you hired a coordinator for Jalen, you would hire an experienced guy."

The logic is straightforward: Jalen Hurts is a Super Bowl MVP with two NFC Championship appearances. If you're building around your franchise quarterback, you pair him with a proven play-caller who can elevate a veteran. Instead, the Eagles chose a first-time coordinator with a two-year coaching resume.

The Pattern of Control

Sileo's critique isn't just about Mannion — it's about what the hire reveals about the Eagles' organizational structure. Throughout the show, he hammered a recurring theme: Nick Sirianni gets credit when things go well, but coordinators take the fall when they don't.

"Nick gets the credit for the team without the responsibility. But when it goes sideways, it's someone else's problem. Kevin Patullo's fault. Sean Desai's fault. Brian Johnson's fault. It's never his fault."

By hiring an unproven coordinator, Sileo argues, Sirianni maintains complete control of the offensive vision while having a built-in scapegoat if the offense underperforms for a fourth consecutive year.

Why Not Just Let Nick Call Plays?

One of the show's most provocative segments came before the hire was announced, when Sileo questioned why Sirianni — an ostensibly offensive-minded head coach making $14-15 million per year — doesn't simply call plays himself.

Sileo pointed out that Sirianni called plays during his time as offensive coordinator in Indianapolis and during his first six games as Eagles head coach. Meanwhile, coaches like Sean McVay and Andy Reid handle play-calling duties themselves while managing head coaching responsibilities.

"If you're going to land on a guy who's never called plays before, why don't you just have your head coach call plays? Nick Sirianni is more qualified to call plays than a guy who's never called a single one."

The answer, Sileo suggested, is simple: if Sirianni calls plays and the offense fails, there's nobody else to blame. The OC position provides organizational cover.

Xander's Counterpoint

Co-host Xander Kraus offered a more optimistic take, noting that Mannion is a former NFL quarterback who sees the game from the position's perspective — similar to former Eagles OC Shane Steichen and legendary coaches like Doug Pederson and Frank Reich.

"He's not a bum," Kraus said. "Is the only way to be a good OC deemed if you have play-calling past? You've got to start somewhere."

But Sileo remained unconvinced, pointing out that Ben Johnson — the gold standard for coordinators who made the leap — spent 13 years working his way up from offensive assistant to OC. Mannion's coaching career is just two years old.

Whether the hire serves Hurts or Sirianni may ultimately be determined on the field. But as Sileo noted: on January 29th, the evidence points in one direction.

The National Football Show with the analysis airs daily on YouTube and podcast platforms.