Remember back in the offseason when the Philadelphia Eagles interviewed multiple offensive coordinator candidates and chose Sean Mannion? It's hard not to imagine what could have been if things had gone a bit differently.
The Eagles interviewed multiple candidates, including Brian Daboll and Mike McDaniel, both of whom have turned out to be really bad hires for the Tennessee Titans (and McDaniel for the Los Angeles Chargers. One candidate really stood out to the Eagles, though: Declan Doyle.
Reports say the Eagles were "highly impressed" with Doyle during their interview. Still, he ultimately withdrew his name from consideration and took the job as the Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator. That proved to be a fantastic hire for the Ravens, and the decision hurt the Eagles in many ways.
Eagles left suffering offensively without Declan Doyle running the show
Let's look at the success that Doyle is seeing with the Ravens in 2026: they rank fifth in total offense (394.2 yards per game), third in rushing (164.4 yards per game), and sixth in points (29.2 per game). For a first-year play caller, those are pretty good numbers.
Shall we look at the Eagles' offensive stats through five games: 31st in total offense (262.2 yards per game), 28th in passing (170.6 yards per game), tied for 23rd in rushing (91.6 yards per game), and 29th in scoring (18.4 points per game). Less than desirable numbers, to be honest.
Yes, there are some major key differences between the Eagles-Ravens and Doyle-Mannion. The Ravens have been relatively healthier than the Eagles, but they've played games without Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, and multiple starting offensive linemen, and they are still 4-1. Doyle has offensive coordinator experience from his time with the Chicago Bears last year, working under head coach Ben Johnson, whereas Mannion has never been a play caller.
This has to make Eagles fans think, though: what a complete botch job the franchise has done again with the offensive coordinator. It's the third time in four years that a first-year offensive coordinator the franchise has hired has struggled to get the unit to perform at the Super Bowl standard fans expected.
Doyle had everything the Eagles wanted in an offensive coordinator and more. He has an innovative, modern offense to work with, learned under one of the NFL's brightest offensive minds, and, while he lacked play-calling experience, he was already an offensive coordinator. This is a young coach who is clearly going places, and the Eagles screwed something up in the interview process.
One appeal of the Ravens job is that Doyle would have full control of the offense. All indications in Philly suggest Sirianni still has a lot of control of the offense and hasn't let Mannion do his thing. That has obviously led to very different conclusions for both teams.
It's too bad Sirianni, Roseman, and company couldn't seal the deal with Doyle and give him the world as offensive coordinator. He impressed them enough, but somehow screwed up getting someone who could have made a massive impact on a struggling offense. That also could have completely changed the Eagles' season, instead of the mess they have trotted out on the field over five games.
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Sure, it could still work out with Mannion, and he could be a great coach, but we have all seen the ending of this story before. The fact is, the Eagles screwed up by not getting Doyle, and that's why many in Philly could be out of town after the season. Maybe Doyle could be the head coach in 2027 if Sirianni gets fired?
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