Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni’s annual summer meeting with reporters had a little more spice to it than usual this year after the historic late-season collapse that led to speculation about his future with the team.
But one topic was a little more interesting than the rest—those pesky Bill Belichick rumors.
Belichick taking over the Eagles was a common point of speculation this offseason after Sirianni’s team lost six of seven and suffered a blowout playoff loss despite a 10-1 start to the season.
But Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manger Howie Roseman stuck with Sirianni, who remains dismissive about both the rumors and additional pressure next season because of the looming threat of replacement.
"All I really took at this was I had Mr. Lurie's trust and they said, 'Hey, let's go back and let's do it again.' That's all I thought about," Sirianni said, according to Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports. "I haven't really thought about anything else. I think it's really tricky to think about things that you can't control."
Notably, the Eagles still reloaded across the coaching staff in other ways, with Vic Fangio joining as defensive coordinator and Kellen Moore joining in the same capacity on the offensive side.
But Sirianni’s franchise-best .667 win percentage and recent Super Bowl appearance earned him some grace to keep the program’s culture in place.
"Control what you can control," Sirianni said. "That's what I've tried to do and trying to lead this team like I've always tried to lead this team. Trying to lead the culture because I know that's what they're looking at me, and they're looking at our leaders to lead that culture."
Of course, even Sirianni went on to admit that similar struggles in 2024 could jeopardize his job security. And in the same stroke, it would likely embolden the rumors around the still-available Belichick and other candidates.
While Sirianni said what fans would expect on the topic, everyone seems to understand that Belichick's shadow looms over the conversation for the foreseeable future.
