PHILADELPHIA — Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen agreed to terms to become the Indianapolis Colts' next head coach on Monday, leaving Philadelphia in need of a new play-caller at the start of their offseason.
Steichen, 37, spent the last two years running the Eagles offense and took over play-calling duties midway through last season after Eagles coach Nick Sirianni delegated the responsibility to better focus on game management.
"I have to be on my duties as a head coach," Sirianni said in December 2021 on the decision to give Steichen play-calling duties. "I have to be on those things and be convicted on when I'm making decisions and not just blind conviction, conviction based off of major, major studying. After the plan is in, after Shane and myself and the offensive staff have put the plan in, that's kind of the way we kind of go.
"I'm working on that part of it, Shane's working on this part of it, and I feel a big benefit from that, and I know we're getting better in our process each day with that and each week."
The Eagles ranked third in offensive efficiency this past season partially thanks to Steichen's play-calling style, which was often defined by his willingness to make opposing defenses stop a specific play before going away from it.
The Eagles had offensive outbursts through the air and on the ground throughout the regular season with Steichen often giving Jalen Hurts run-pass option plays to take advantage of his athleticism and decision-making. Steichen's success this season led to him being named a finalist for the Associated Press' assistant coach of the year award, which went to 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, recently hired as the Houston Texans' head coach.
Steichen is the official replacement for former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who was fired by the Colts in November and replaced by ESPN analyst and former Colts center Jeff Saturday on an interim basis. Several media reports indicated the Colts identified Steichen as their top choice a few hours before the Eagles' Super Bowl LVII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The coach reportedly flew to Indianapolis the morning after the 38-35 loss to negotiate contract terms with Colts' brass.
The Eagles have a few internal options to replace Steichen. Quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson has received reported interest from other teams because of his work with Hurts the last two years and has play-calling experience dating back to his time spent as a college offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators in 2020.
With Hurts eligible for an extension this offseason and cementing himself as one of the league's best quarterbacks, it's also important to note Johnson and Hurts have a close relationship dating back to Hurts' childhood. The Eagles quarterback's dad coached Johnson in high school with Hurts and his older brother, Averion Jr., serving as ball boys for the team. Hurts looked up to Johnson's decorated career as Utah's quarterback in the 2000s and was eventually recruited by him when Johnson was an assistant coach at Mississippi State.
Pass-game coordinator Kevin Patullo could also be an option. Like Sirianni, Patullo has experience working with both wide receivers and quarterbacks and has familiarity with Sirianni's scheme dating back to their shared time in Indianapolis.
Before Steichen's time with the Eagles, he spent most of his coaching career with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers from 2014-20, going from an offensive quality control coach to the offensive coordinator. He was part of a Chargers staff that developed star quarterback Justin Herbert and can now take some credit for the ascension of Hurts the last two seasons.
Indianapolis is in quarterback limbo after benching veteran Matt Ryan and going into the offseason looking for a new starter for the fifth season in a row. The Colts have the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft, in which a handful of quarterback prospects are expected to go early.
