The Philadelphia Eagles will always have their Super Bowl win last season. The 2025 campaign has been far from perfect, as the offense notably struggled throughout. Yet, they made it into the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the NFC. The hope was that they would flip the proverbial light switch and return to the juggernaut they were last year.
Instead, the Eagles lost 23-19 to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card Round. The offense once again no-showed despite having multiple chances to seal the game.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has received the brunt of Philadelphia fans' ire to the point that his house was egged. Considering the early elimination, many fans are holding out hope that the team moves on from Patullo.
Ahead of ESPN's airing of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Houston Texans game, former Eagles center Jason Kelce was asked about his thoughts on the team's early playoff elimination. Kelce took the time to defend Patullo, saying, "I know he's a great coach." Kelce then pointed the blame towards the players for not stepping up.
"[The Eagles] had their chances to win that game yesterday, and the players didn't make the plays!"@JasonKelce acknowledges the coaching issues throughout the year, but holds the players accountable for losing against the 49ers 😳 pic.twitter.com/EiBdITdGXs
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 13, 2026
"I know it wasn't the best performance this season, offensively. They had the No. 1 highest-paid offense in the league. We’re mediocre across the board; that’s unacceptable. They had their chances to win that game yesterday, and they, the players, didn't make the plays," said Kelce.
Jason Kelce points blame at Eagles players, not OC Kevin Patullo, for playoff loss vs. 49ers
Kelce did not hold back in his assessment of the Eagles' struggles on Sunday. He did give praise to the 49ers, their head coach Kyle Shanahan, and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh for the victory. But he felt the Eagles had opportunities to win the game.
A.J. Brown has been under the most ridicule, given how he has voiced his displeasure throughout the years if he doesn't receive adequate targets. Brown recorded three receptions for 25 yards on seven targets, with two of those four incompletions being drops.
Then there's quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is one of the highest-paid players at his position. On Sunday, Hurts completed just 20-of-35 pass attempts for 168 yards and one touchdown.
Overall, the Eagles' offense gained 307 yards on 72 plays, averaging 4.3 yards per play. Meanwhile, the 49ers offense picked up 361 yards on 58 plays for an average of 6.2 yards per play.
Even if Kelce is blaming the players, it seems like Patullo is set to be the scapegoat. ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reports that the Eagles are expected to make changes to their offensive coaching staff with the goal of bringing in a "proven offensive mind." Hurts provided a non-answer when asked if he'd like the team to keep Patullo.
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Regardless of who blames whom for their failures, it's up to the Eagles to ensure these offensive struggles don't continue next season.