The Philadelphia Eagles know the pressure is on to bounce back in 2026. Things didn't go as expected last season, especially on the offensive side. Kevin Patullo was axed after being the offensive coordinator for one season.
They decided to hire Sean Mannion as the OC in 2026, but there are some questions going into the season. FanSided's Jake Beckman released an article talking about the biggest gamble for all 32 teams in the NFL. Regarding Philadelphia, he named Mannion.
"So, as far as spring workouts go, the vibes are incredibly high in Philadelphia...But the playcalling part is what we’re waiting on now. Being in the quarterback’s ear is an art, and being able to sequence plays that build off of each other is a necessity. We simply do not know if that is in Mannion’s bag. Maybe he’s a natural; maybe we get to Week 1, and he channels his inner quarterback and crushes it … But there’s a very good chance that he doesn’t."
This is only something that can be answered when the games kick off, but it is a massive question mark going into the fall.
Eagles' riskiest move in 2026 is standing on the sideline
There are a few things that can work in Mannion's favor. He's a former NFL quarterback, during which he made stops with the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Minnesota Vikings. Although he was mostly a backup, he can still see the game through a different lens.
That, in combination with his coaching experience with the Green Bay Packers, is interesting. During his time with them, Mannion was an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach. He was able to learn from Matt LaFleur, and he was highly regarded in that building.
After Philadelphia hired Mannion, ESPN's Peter Schrager reached out to several people around Green Bay, and the reviews were high.
One text message said, "Super smart, great teacher, collaborative, and an A+ human."
That was just one message, but everyone spoke highly of Mannion. And based on the early reports, the arrow is pointing up around Mannion and his offense. Regardless, fans will need to give Mannion a grace period to find his groove as a playcaller.
Things like this take time, but as we know, Philly fans can become restless. It'll be interesting to see how things unfold on the offensive end this season for the Birds, but there's no denying the decision to fire Mannion was a risky move for Philadelphia.
Read more: An unlikely Eagles rival surprisingly came to Jalen Hurts' defense
Only time will tell how this will go but it was easily the biggest risk they took this offseason.
Add us as a preferred source on Google