Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni looks on during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.
After a soul-crushing end to the 2023 campaign, the Philadelphia Eagles rebounded with an offseason for the ages. Highlighted by the additions of Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff, and Quinyon Mitchell, the Birds have only gotten stronger since the disappointing collapse, and a new coaching staff only further installs confidence. Nick Sirianni will remain the teams’ head coach this season, and with a roster this impressive, you’d assume he’d be among the favorites to win Coach of the Year, but that’s not the case…
In a stunning turn of events, neither Andy Reid, nor Nick Sirianni, or even Kyle Shanahan are anywhere near the top of the odds sheet ahead of the new season. Maybe it’s because the award typically highlights a coach who has drastically overachieved, and it’s hard for the likes of Reid and Shanahan to do that when the expectations are so high, but it does feel a little wild to see the likes of Jonathan Gannon and even Shane Steichen (+1600) listed so much lower than the man who most recently gave them opportunities as coordinators — Nick Sirianni.
There’s understandably a lot of hype for Jim Harbaugh, who is making his NFL return after an incredibly successful tenure with Michigan, that ended in a National Championship win last year. He joins the Los Angeles Chargers and inherits a franchise quarterback, a reworked offense, and a defense that has plenty of room left to grow. The Chargers have underachieved for a while, so a strong regular season could easily pin Harbaugh at the top of this list by seasons end.
The favorite, however, is Matt Eberflus of the Chicago Bears. He did take a 3-10 team from his first year and net them 7 wins in year 2 and added a franchise quarterback for the season ahead, but to expect the Bears to suddenly be a perennial player in a rising NFC North is slightly unrealistic, and at just +900, there’s very little value on a team with a low floor, even if the ceiling is enticing.
Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans are probably the best value picks in the upper echelon of candidates. Two defensive masterminds who have clearly taken big steps forward, the most upside lies with the former. C.J Stroud’s remarkable breakout has only been compounded by a strong offseason, and the Texans look ready to make some noise in 2024. If they can pick up where they left off last year, this could be a bet worth placing.
However, the most value arguably lies with Nick Sirianni.
There’s no escaping the fact that 2023 was a huge disappointment. Nick Sirianni was able to keep his job, but his coordinators were both fired and the roster has been built up so aggressively that anything less than an NFC Championship berth would feel like another underachievement.
With that said, we must not forget that Sirianni flew out of nowhere to become a favorite for this award late in the 2022 season when the Eagles made the Super Bowl. He should’ve arguably won the award (depending on who you talk to), and the team is both stronger and deeper than it was in that season.
If anything, the 2023 downfall paints exactly the kind of narrative that this award is built around. If Sirianni can learn from his mistakes and guide the Eagles to a comfortable NFC East crown, then why wouldn’t he be a contender for the Coach of the Year award when looking at the contrast between success in 2024 and a complete disaster last year?
The schedule is notably easier than it was in 2023, the roster is better, and the expectations are just as high. It would take another dominant opening half of the season to push Sirianni among the favorites, but if those younger names, or coaches with teams who feel destined to endure a few teething problems, do struggle, then the cream should always rise to the top.
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