It’s crazy to think that “Fire Sirianni” chants poured down from every section of Lincoln Financial Field in the middle of October. Four months later, the same people cheered Sirianni as he rode down Broad Street atop the back of an open-air bus holding aloft the Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LIX in a 40-22 romp over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Nearly four months later, Sirianni was rewarded with a multi-year contract after winning a Super Bowl, leading the Eagles to an 18-3 record, and ripping off a franchise-record 10 straight wins.
It wasn’t just those fans who showered the coach with “Fire Sirianni” chants, it was fans across the region who wanted him gone after a narrow, 20-16 win over a going-nowhere Browns team. The squeak-by-win was the Eagles’ first after a bye week, which they entered 2-2, heading into the week off after being thrashed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The win over the Browns, which felt like a loss because Cleveland was so bad, ended when Sirianni got into a verbal sparring match with fans behind the team’s bench.
The coach issued an apology for his loss of control, but that didn’t stop Colin Cowherd on his FOX Sports Radio show from eviscerating him: “It’s time to go get an adult coach who has won, who is a proven, who is a veteran… I could see Philadelphia moving off Sirianni in two weeks.”
Every fan poll on various platforms asking if Sirianni should stay or go was answered with a resounding, GO. The coach looked unhinged, feeling every bit of pressure the city could apply in big, heavy doses. It didn’t help that, during the bye week, Sirianni shaved his beard and hair, giving off a Full Metal Jacket vibe.
Their 2-2 start and struggle versus the Browns felt too much like the end of the 2024 season when a 10-1 start dissolved into a disastrous finish, with the Eagles losing six of their last seven games, including against the Bucs in a Wildcard playoff game.
There was some surprise that Sirianni wasn’t fired at the end of that messy ending. Owner Jeffrey Lurie separated himself from the emotion of the moment by going yacht shopping in Saint Martin, and South Florida. More than two months passed before Lurie gave his reasoning for bringing back Sirianni.
“Every coach is in a high-pressure situation,” said Lurie then. “Nick has had a pretty spectacular first three seasons, and he’s shown all the ingredients to have outstanding success. So, I’m just looking forward.”
It was the best decision the owner could have made looking at how it turned out, with Sirianni now on the brink of becoming the third-longest-tenured coach in Eagles history behind Andy Reid (14 seasons) and Greasy Neal (10). Dick Vermeil is in seventh with seven seasons, but this will be Sirianni’s fifth season coming up.
He is also the first head coach in Eagles history with multiple Super Bowl appearances, and the Eagles have the third-best winning percentage since he became head coach in 2021.
It took less than four months to turn the boos to cheers. That’s how quickly things can change in the NFL, and Sirianni is living proof of that.
