Eagles’ Jalen Hurts on if he wants Nick Sirianni back: ‘Owners own, coaches coach, and players play’

Head coach Nick Sirianni walks towards the Eagles’ bench before the start of the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs against the Buccaneers on Jan. 15.

With the lights dimmed and nearly every player already gone for the offseason, the loudest voice in the Eagles locker room was the only voice.

Jalen Hurts straightened up his locker stall before holding his final press conference of the season Wednesday evening and discussed his role in shaping the future of the team. A few days removed from a tepid endorsement of Eagles coach Nick Sirianni following a 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hurts deferred to owner Jeffrey Lurie on Wednesday when asked again if he wanted Sirianni to remain at the helm.

Eagles’ Jalen Hurts speaks to reporters at his locker at the NovaCare Complex on Jan. 17.

Hurts also said he, Sirianni, and offensive coordinator Brian Johnson plan to address the issues that contributed to the team losing six of its last seven games in the coming months.

“Owners own, coaches coach, and players play,” Hurts said. “I answered that question the other day. … I didn’t even know that was a thing. I had no idea that was a thing. I don’t see why that wouldn’t be the case, we’re planning on fixing everything that we’ve done and growing together, Coach Sirianni, Brian, everyone.”

Jalen Hurts’ lukewarm endorsement of Nick Sirianni may be the final nail in the Eagles coach’s coffin

Even when it’s not as quiet as it was Wednesday night, Hurts’ words reverberate through the NovaCare Complex, especially in a time where things are in flux. It’s why his answers regarding Sirianni’s job security on Sunday left room for interpretation as Sirianni’s future is determined by Lurie.

In his postgame news conference at Raymond James Stadium, Hurts said he “didn’t know [Sirianni] was going anywhere” initially. When later asked for his confidence level in Sirianni’s ability to fix the issues facing the team, Hurts said, “I have a ton of confidence in everyone in this building.”

By comparison, several players offered impassioned defenses of Sirianni on Wednesday. Both Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce, each of whom may have played their last game with the team, went to bat for the third-year coach as speculation rises about his future with the team.

“There ain’t even no [bleeping] discussion about that,” Cox said, later adding: “Come on, man. What is it to talk about? He’s a winner. He’s a winning head coach. Did we have some bumps this year? Yeah. But every team, every organization, everybody goes through it. But we don’t look at firing a man who obviously has won 10-plus games two years in a row and that’s took this organization to three playoff appearances three years in a row. … Did things happen this year? Yeah. But I don’t discuss about firing a man — this man’s got a family — I don’t discuss anything about that.”

Kelce added: “Of course, I love Nick. I think Nick’s a great coach, I really do. … Obviously, nobody was good enough this year. I wasn’t. None of the players. None of the coaches were good down the stretch. That’s the reality of this business. It’s a collective thing. I’ll always have faith in Nick Sirianni.”

Both Hurts and the Eagles offense as a whole regressed in 2023. The 25-year-old quarterback had a career-high 15 interceptions and five fumbles lost in his fourth year, the first season since signing a five-year, $255 million contract extension.

Hurts took a dip in several statistical categories from his MVP-caliber 2022 season, including completion percentage, yards per attempt, and passer rating. Hurts said, in order for the offense to rebound from a relatively down year, it would start with himself.

Has Fletcher Cox played his last game for the Eagles? He indicates he hasn’t decided on his future.

“Execution, I look myself in the mirror before I do anything else,” Hurts said. “And that’s just being better on my part. I’m not the same player I was when I came here as a rookie, I’m not the same player I was a second-year player. … You have to continue to evolve, not only as a player, but as a man, as a leader.”

While Hurts’ words carry weight, he said he doesn’t seek out input in organizational decisions made by Lurie or general manager Howie Roseman.

As the two determine which changes the late-season collapse from the Eagles necessitate, and whether those changes include Sirianni, Hurts said he will remain focused on his own role in the organization.

“No, owners own, coaches coach and players play,” Hurts said. “I just want to play at a high level. I have a ton of confidence in Coach, I have a ton of confidence in Howie, I have a ton of confidence in Mr. Lurie. I have to do my job. I have to do my job and control the things that I can.”

©2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.