PHILADELPHIA — Two weeks ago, Sean Mannion’s name recognition in Philadelphia may have been limited to draftniks who remember Mannion as an Oregon State standout or fans of NFL late-season games when Mannion started three times as a backup quarterback during his nine-year NFL career.
Earlier this week, he emerged as a favorite for the Eagles’ offensive coordinator job. By Thursday night, he was hired to replace Kevin Patullo on Nick Sirianni’s staff and become Jalen Hurts’ seventh play caller in the NFL. By Friday morning, he was the leading topic for every fan on social media, talk radio or the comments section on The Athletic.
That’s just the beginning of Philadelphia’s intrigue with the 33-year-old former Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach with just two years of NFL coaching experience. Here are eight thoughts on the hire, what it means and what else has happened since the Eagles announced the move:
1. This is a big swing by the Eagles, with high boom-or-bust potential. There’s a chance he revitalizes the offense with fresh ideas drawn from the breadth of coaches and schemes he’s been exposed to throughout his playing career, or there’s a chance he looks like someone who’s only coached for two years and never called plays. If they hired a coordinator with more experience, you would have a general idea of what it might look. That isn’t the case here. That’s not necessarily a problem, but it’s certainly a bold approach for a team replacing a first-year play caller in win-now mode. Often, you look for something different than the person before. I figured at the start of the search that would include play-calling experience. That shifted as the search expanded. The Eagles were attracted to the offensive mind, the quarterback background and the ideas for evolution. It wasn’t the safe hire. It was a swing for the fences.
For what it’s worth, the word around the NFL has been favorable about Mannion. He was well-regarded in Green Bay, and the development of Malik Willis as a No. 2 quarterback last season (in addition to Jordan Love’s work as the No. 1) earned strong reviews. Of course, there’s an offensive-minded head coach and an offensive coordinator involved. When you hire a quarterbacks coach, data is limited. But he was identified as an up-and-coming coach, similar to non-coordinators such as Nathan Scheelhaase with the Los Angeles Rams and Davis Webb with the Denver Broncos. (To be fair, both of those coaches earned head-coaching interviews. This was Mannion’s only known interview as an offensive coordinator.) Some may have been surprised by how quickly Mannion rose to OC, but there aren’t many doubts about his football mind.
2. A big appeal here would be the references on the resumes more than the length of the resume. This is not someone who’s been under one coach or system. Consider this list, which is not even exhaustive: Sean McVay, Matt LeFleur, Zac Taylor, Jedd Fisch, Gary Kubiak, Klint Kubiak, Kevin Stefanski, Dave Canales, Kevin O’Connell, Wes Phillips, Grant Udinski. And that doesn’t even factor in head coaches such as Pete Carroll and Jeff Fisher.
That’s a wide reservoir from which to draw ideas — especially for a coach’s son who entered the NFL planning to become a coach. It also includes different concepts and philosophies from what the Eagles have recently employed. He’s not the next-in-line candidate who offers stability. This is an outside-the-family hire — especially if you’re looking for new concepts. Expect more motion from the Eagles and more under-center play-action — at least on the background that he brings.
3. The playing experience is also important to note. Mannion lasted nine seasons in the NFL while attempting only 36 passes. The life cycle of a backup quarterback is revealing. A young backup is a developmental player. An older backup, especially one without much on-field experience, is often there to support the starter. This is not to say he was a player-coach, but his value is often found in the meeting room more than on the playing field or the practice field. In the years that a mid-30s coach might have been slowly moving up the ladder, Mannion was in meeting rooms with Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson and Jared Goff as extra eyes and ears. If the Eagles wanted to focus this hire on improving the passing game and having a coach to work closely with Jalen Hurts, Mannion fits the description.
“I joke with my wife, Megan, I would spend more time with the starting quarterback than I would with my family once the season started,” Mannion said in a May 2025 article in The Athletic. “I think when you’re taking that mindset on in the role of a backup, in a lot of ways it’s similar to a quarterback coach, where I’m thinking about how am I best helping our quarterback, our starter, prepare.”
So much of the Eagles’ offensive success is dependent on Hurts. Mannion’s time in the NFL gives him credibility.
The Eagles are counting on quick results from Sean Mannion. (Mark Hoffman / Imagn Images)
4. Let’s talk about play-calling, because that’s the big question. Mannion will call plays, from what I’ve gathered, and that’s a steep learning curve. I wrote in this space last season about the distinction between being a good offensive mind and a good play-caller during the Eagles’ internal defense of Kevin Patullo. I’ve heard coaches describe it as an art and suggest it requires a feel. Sequencing, rhythm and adjustments are so important after the initial script. It’s why some thought the Eagles needed an established play caller. If they hired Mike McDaniel, the reaction and even the projection might be different. But Mannion’s hire doesn’t offer a strong answer for a problem the Eagles needed to solve.
On the flip side, every play caller indeed needs a first opportunity. Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan needed a team to give them a chance before they established their reputations as top play callers. And it happened quickly. Kellen Moore went from backup quarterback to offensive coordinator in two seasons. In Moore’s first year calling plays, the Dallas Cowboys finished No. 6 in scoring and No. 1 in yards.
The Eagles need Mannion to have quick results. This is not an on-the-job-training role. The Eagles plan to win in 2026. If Mannion has growing pains in September and finds his stride in December, you’re saying, “I told you so,” and wondering why the Eagles did not hire someone with more experience. If the offense looks fresh and innovative in September, it supports the notion that play calling is a skill, and the Eagles identified a good play caller based on research and interviews.
5. Like any decision, you need to evaluate it against the alternatives. The initial targets included McDaniel and Brian Daboll — two different profiles than Mannion. If you asked if I’d rather have McDaniel or Mannion, I’d say McDaniel. But that wasn’t the question during the third week of the search. The Eagles pivoted after the initial wave, cast a wide net, and considered coaches without play-calling experience, such as Mannion and Declan Doyle (who they were quite interested in), to go along with coaches with play-calling experience, such as Matt Nagy or Jim Bob Cooter.
Of the remaining candidates, there’s no coach I’d pound the table for and say the Eagles clearly should have hired over Mannion. If you felt strongly about Nagy or Cooter, then you wouldn’t like the idea of the Mannion hire. But if you were lukewarm on the alternatives, a swing makes more sense.
6. Another part of this is the coaching staff. The Eagles quickly hired Josh Grizzard as passing game coordinator, according to a league source. Grizzard, who was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator last year, was a finalist for the job and brings a season of play-calling experience. He was a passing game coordinator for an impressive Bucs’ pass offense in 2024. He also worked with McDaniel in Miami. This is an example of the Eagles reshaping the offensive staff and how the Mannion hire is not done in isolation. Grizzard was a legitimate candidate for the job. By pairing them together, Sirianni is reshaping the passing offense with different ideas. One reason for the prolonged timetable of the search was also determining how the staff would look, and more moves might be on the way.
Mannion is also taking over an offense with ambiguity surrounding the roster. I’m not sure how these hires affect how A.J. Brown feels about his situation in Philadelphia, and the questions surrounding Lane Johnson’s future persist. Given the style of offenses that Mannion (and Grizzard) have played and worked in, my guess is DeVonta Smith could be a beneficiary of this move. He’s been underutilized in the Eagles offense, and changes to the system could help diversify his route concepts. I also expect the Eagles to be active in adding to the offense through the draft — especially in early rounds.
7. Regardless of the hire, the process is commendable given that it achieved what an earnest search is supposed to. I can’t imagine the Eagles started this expecting to hire Mannion. But once you commit to casting a wide net, you must be open-minded. This wasn’t simply operating within an established coaching network or choosing from a generic list of top options.
“My goal throughout this process was to operate with an open mind regarding the future of our offense to find the best fit for the Eagles,” Sirianni said in a statement. “Over the last few weeks, I had an opportunity to meet with a number of talented candidates and great offensive minds. I am appreciative of the time I was able to spend with each of them. Some came with years of experience running an offense and calling plays. Others were young, sharp, and dynamic coaches on the rise. I felt it was important to be patient and thorough to allow the right fit to reveal himself to us. Sean did just that.”
There are times when a targeted search has merit because the top candidate is clear right away. Look at the Vic Fangio hire in 2024. Had the Eagles landed McDaniel, it would have made sense. There are also times when an open mind is required, but a search can be a sham because it’s rigged to achieve a desired outcome. I respect the fact that they met with Mannion, were impressed by what he offered and wanted to learn more. I can’t tell you the result will be what fans want, but I’ll give them high marks for the process. Identifying and developing staff members is a critical part of a franchise’s success.
8. Finally, what does this mean for the future? I don’t believe Mannion’s age and inexperience suggest he has more staying power. In fact, I’d think it’s the opposite: If the Eagles have success, Mannion could earn interviews for head coaching jobs next year. He might not have the hype of candidates considered next in line, but NFL owners are often intrigued by young offensive minds. I’m not saying Mannion will be one and done, but I think the Eagles hired a rising coach near the ground floor. As I wrote multiple times the past few weeks, the Eagles should not be focused on staying power. It’s the nature of the offensive coordinator role that those jobs turn over often.
And that also leads to the question of what happens if it doesn’t work. In that case, my guess is the Eagles might be searching for more than an offensive coordinator next year. Such is life in the NFL. This is a high-variance hire, and the Eagles are taking a big swing.