The Philadelphia Eagles fired defensive coordinator Sean Desai on Sunday, appearing to be a contingency for head coach Nick Sirianni to save his job following a historic second-half collapse of the 2023 season.
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After racing out to a 10-2 start to the regular season, and the Eagles' season came to a disappointing conclusion with a blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Game, after losing five of six games to close out the season.
Philadelphia's defense stumbled down the stretch, allowing 30.56 over the final five regular season games and its loss to the Buccaneers. The Eagles' decline on defense coincided with Sirianni demoting Desai, in favor of Matt Patricia, ahead of a Week 15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Now, it would seem that Sirianni must knock the defensive coordinator hire out of the park, if the Eagles are going to rebound as a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the NFC in 2024.
Here's a look at five top candidates capable of changing the culture of a woebegone Eagles defense that seems to have lost its swagger and ability to keep points of the scoreboard down the stretch this past season:
Don "Wink" Martindale
According to The Athletic, the Eagles have reached out to gauge Martindale's interest in making the move to South Philadelphia, after resigning as Giants defensive coordinator earlier this month. Martindale's defenses thrive on pressure, which could make him an ideal fit given the presence of dynamic edge rushers Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Nolan Smith in the Eagles' front-seven. During the 26 campaign, Martindale dialed up extra pressure on 46 percent of the Giants' defensive snaps. That kind of aggressiveness, especially if the Eagles invest some major resources in the secondary, could go a long way to fixing what ailed Philadelphia's defense in 2023.
Anthony Weaver
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The Baltimore Ravens' playoff run, fueled in large part by a dominant defense with playmakers at all three levels, is going to be a model emulated by teams across the league. Ravens defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald is one of the most coveted head coaching candidates, and Weaver should be on the short-list for every defensive coordinator vacancy across the league. Weaver has even interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons' head coaching vacancy. During his career, Weaver has played an instrumental role working with pass-rushers such as Jadeveon Clowney and J.J. Watt with the Houston Texans, while spending time with the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns during his career that saw his units thrive. A rising star in coaching circles, Weaver has the temperament to be a culture-driver, which the Eagles desperately need.
Kacy Rodgers
Sirianni and the Eagles got a front-row seat to the Buccaneers' defensive resurgence that Rodgers has played a vital role in. While Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles calls the plays defensively, but Rodgers' defensive line in a lot of ways is the backbone of Tampa Bay's defense. Led by Vita Vea's 5.5 sacks, the Buccaneers' defensive line produced 11.5 sacks during the 2023 season as Tampa finished fifth in the NFL against the run. Rodgers has prior defensive coordinator experience, with the Jets, and given the immense resources the Eagles have expended along the defensive line with young stars like Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, and Milton Williams' emergence, Rodgers might be the perfect candidate to maximize their potential.
Leslie Frazier
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Leslie Frazier has prior head coaching experience and a track record of calling dominant defenses. Buffalo finished as a top-five defense in each of Frazier's final three seasons as defensive coordinator, likewise the Bills were top-10 in scoring defense four times under his watch. If the Eagles are eyeing a candidate with head coaching experience, and a consistently dominant resumé, Frazier might be the perfect fit for Sirianni's staff, where could have the latitude to essentially act as the "head coach" of the defense.
Ejiro Evero
When the Carolina Panthers hire a new head coach, there's a chance that the current staff will become free agents, which will make Evero one of the more coveted potential coordinators on the market. This past season, despite a wildly inconsistent and under-performing offense, the Panthers finished fourth in the NFL in total defense, holding opponents to just 293.9 yards of offense per game and third in the league against the pass. Given that Evero previously worked under Frank Reich could make him an more attractive option for Sirianni.
