PHILADELPHIA Eagles coach Nick Sirianni took to the airwaves Tuesday to denounce reports by NFL broadcaster Derrick Gunn, who used to be based in Philadelphia, and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini stating that many coaches and players are frustrated with the way Jalen Hurts plays quarterback. “I’m not frustrated with him,” Sirianni told 94. 1 WIP, the FM partner of the team. “He goes out there and does his job each week and does a great job of putting us in position to win games, and that’s the name of the game.” Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo also praised Hurts while meeting with reporters at NovaCare Complex Tuesday. “I thought Jalen played well,” Patullo said about Sunday night’s 16-9 win over the Lions. “I mean, it was a difficult game. It was a different kind of game the way it played out. He took care of the ball and that’s a major priority for us, obviously. But he did a good job and the game kind of went the way it went. “We had two red zone opportunities . where we had to kick a field goal. If you come away with touchdowns, it feels completely different, the whole entire outlook of the game for the offense. He did a pretty good job.” According to Russini over the weekend: “Multiple offensive players have grown frustrated with Jalen Hurts’ approach this season, particularly against zone coverage. They believe he’s become hesitant in tight windows, leaning on checkdowns or scrambles instead of trusting what’s open downfield. “Philadelphia ranks 30th in pass attempts. The result? Pass catchers become disinterested. Any top receiver I’ve covered in this league has said the same thing: They spend hours getting open. When the ball doesn’t come their way, frustration follows.” On he heels of her report, Gunn appeared on Seth Joyner’s podcast. Here’s a transcript of what he said in the segment to the legendary Eagles linebacker. “Those things that (get) dissected on film (and) during practice, those things that are talked about among the quarterback coach, the offensive coordinator, the head coach . it has been constantly discussed all season long. Yet, when they transition to the field on a football game, he plays ‘his game,’ not the game the coaches want him to play. He plays ‘his game.’ I don’t think you can get out of that mode at this particular point. I think it’s what we’re going to have to watch all season long, is him playing his ‘his game.’ “You look at a lot of quarterbacks, they’re going to sling it. They’re going to trying to throw it through the eye of the needle. Sometimes you just have to take that chance. That’s not his game. That’s why he stands back there, a lot of the time he’s patting the ball, patting the ball, and it throws the timing of the offense off. The rhythm is thrown off. They can’t get him out of it. “It’s frustrating in a lot of ways to the coaching staff and to the players extremely frustrating to the players. Because when they look at the film, the next day or a few days later, they see what’s available out there and what should’ve happened, and it didn’t happen. That’s frustrating to them as well. “I’m just basically telling you there’s a lot of people in that organization that are frustrated with the quarterback situation right now. But the quarterback understands he has them over a barrel. This is almost Carson Wentz part two. They’re not going to eat this kind of money yet.” Those are blistering words from Gunn, the kicker being the comparison to Wentz, whose final season here was a sour chapter for some in the locker room. Both reports by a pair of well-established journalists are eyebrow-raising considering Hurts is the reigning Super Bowl MVP and has shown the ability to air it out when necessary. Still, there’s no denying the offense has been stagnant this year except for the Vikings game, the last Giants game and the second half of the Rams game. Wide receiver A. J. Brown has been open about his frustration with the offense, and running back Saquan Barkley has said they all need to “get on the same page.” As a rookie OC, Patullo has taken plenty of heat. But these reports, if accurate, put the onus on Hurts to run the offense as it’s designed. Perhaps the leaks (again, if accurate) were to send him a message. Lane Johnson issue Sirianni on Monday discussed the status of All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson, a future Hall of Famer, after his foot injury (Lisfranc) that could land him on IR and cost him 4-6 weeks. “We’ll see with Lane,” he said. “I know that he’ll do everything he can do to get back as quick as he possibly can. We’ll see the time that’s missed. You guys know me. I’m not going to get into how much time or this or that, but obviously, you all saw the report, and we’ll see where that leads. I’ll have more information as we continue on throughout the week.” Tackle Fred Johnson and tackle/guard Matt Pryor are likely to fill in for Johnson. Pryor may serve as an extra lineman when the Eagles are in six-man fronts, a package they’ve been incorporating recently. at @the_defranc for the latest updates.
https://www.mcall.com/2025/11/18/eagles-coaches-downplay-frustration-with-jalen-hurts/
Eagles coaches downplay ‘frustration’ with Jalen Hurts
