Eagles: Jonathan Gannon, Shane Steichen turning heads in NFL’s carousel

It never fails. Successful NFL teams see their cupboards raided year after year in the NFL. A 14-win season by the Philadelphia Eagles has the other 31 franchises sniffing around the NovaCare Complex to see what the Birds are cooking. Coaching turnover is inevitable as, yearly, teams who fail to qualify for postseason contention begin looking for someone to help steady their ship and make them a contender next season. Don’t look now, but two of Philly’s assistants are among the hot topics as we settle into January with the first weekend of the playoffs approaching.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the Houston Texans have added defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen to a list of candidates they have requested permission to interview. Ben Johnson (OC, Detroit Lions), DeMeco Ryans (DC, San Francisco 49ers), and Ejiro Evero (DC, Denver Broncos) are among the candidates that they are eyeing as well.

Rapoport also reports that Steichen is also on the Carolina Panthers’ radar. This after he also reported that the Indianapolis Colts have made the same request.

No one should be surprised by the spotlight shining on the Eagles’ young assistants.

As mentioned earlier, this is the law of the land in the NFL. No one should be surprised. It’s the successful teams that have their cupboards raided in the National Football League. When teams look to fill important positions, they often look to the top dogs first and/or candidates that have made huge imprints in their current positions for teams that may not be performing well.

With J.G. and Shane, teams seeking a new leader can check almost every box. Under Gannon, the Eagles set a franchise record for sacks while finishing first in total defense and first versus the pass. Steichen led a unit that saw Jalen Hurts earn MVP mentions while fielding a 1,000-yard rusher (Miles Sanders) and two 1,000-yard receivers (A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith). Don’t be shocked if Philly is forced to replace both of their top assistants next season.