Among the seven NFL head coaches hired heading into the 2021 season, only two remain—Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell and Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Robert Saleh became the fifth coach of the '21 class to receive the pink slip when he was fired by the New York Jets on Tuesday, just two days after a 23–17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London.
While Campbell's Lions now sit atop the NFC as one of the conference's new powerhouses, Sirianni finds himself in a rather vulnerable position in Philadelphia despite leading the franchise to Super Bowl LVII less than two years ago.
Does Saleh's firing make Sirianni think of his coaching mortality?
"No," Sirianni told reporters on Wednesday. "I obviously wish him nothing but the best. I had a good working relationship with Coach Saleh, being able to practice against those guys. I've got a lot of respect for him. I think he's a really good football coach, but my mind is set on only how we get better."
It's fair to say Sirianni is on the hot seat—or at least could be soon if the Eagles don't turn things around. Philadelphia is 2–2 coming out of its bye week, not exactly the start it imagined to follow up an awful 1–6 finish last season.
"Anything out of your control or anything that consumes your mind that's not focused on not getting better is a waste of time," Sirianni said. "It only clouds the process. ... If you're focused on things that you can't control, that's gonna cloud that hunger and drive to get better.
"So that's all that we think about. You probably can say 'Oh, well that's coach talk.' I'm not bulls---ing you. That's exactly how I live, that's how I've operated for. You are who your habits are and that's how I've been operating for a big portion of my life."
One talking point surrounding the Eagles has been the strenuous relationship between Sirianni and Eagles starting quarterback Jalen Hurts over the team's slump dating back to last year. Sirianni and Hurts told reporters Wednesday that they met up during the bye week and hashed things out.
"We are the two leaders of the team," Hurts said Wednesday. "I’m happy and fortunate that we were able to come together in harmony and have the same goal in mind and try to get this thing right. I got a ton of confidence in [Sirianni]. A ton of confidence in what he brings. Everything he has been able to accomplish. ... Everybody goes through different moments. Everybody experiences adversity. But we’ve experienced different moments of adversity together. We are excited for what’s to come."
Sirianni and the Eagles will battle the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni Not Concerned About Hot Seat After Jets Fire Robert Saleh.
