Eagles’ Jalen Hurts on Kevin Patullo, offensive coordinator job – NBC Sports Philadelphia
In recent years, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has publicly expressed his desire for continuity at the signal-caller position.
This did not happen on Monday.
The day after the Eagles’ season ended with a loss to the 49ers, Hurts was asked if he wanted Kevin Patullo to return as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator. And in the face of obvious changes ahead, Hurts at locker cleaning day didn’t push for that continuity this offseason.
“It’s too early to think about it,” Hurts said of Patullo. “I trusted Howie (Roesman), Nick (Sirianni) and Mr. (Jeffrey) Lurie.”
The Eagles offense clearly hasn’t been good enough this season and it faltered in their 23-19 loss to the 49ers on Sunday afternoon. All season long, Hurts talked about the importance of finding an offensive identity and they never actually found it. The same things that haunted the Eagles all season doomed them in the playoffs.
Hurts changed his wording for “identity” on Monday, instead calling it “home base.” But it’s clear he wants the Eagles offense in 2026 to find what it’s good at and lean into it.
On Monday, Hurts was asked how the cycle of offensive coordinators balances finding that foundation for the offense.
“The changes have not stopped us from having the opportunity to compete in championship races,” Hurts responded. “With all the changes and with all the things that have changed over time, we’ve always found ourselves in the playoffs and we’ve always found ourselves in position to be in the tournament and play in the tournament.
“I think in competition, I don’t like the trend of wild-card, big-time, wild-card, big-time then wild-card, referring to losing, obviously. So in competition, as a quarterback, as a leader, that’s one of my big priorities, to try to break that.”
Of course, Hurts would probably still like continuity if the Eagles find the right OC/player to fill that role. It was clear this season that Patullo was not the answer.
The trend under Sirianni is clear. The Eagles lost in the wild-card round in 2021, 2023 and 2025 and reached the Super Bowls in the 2022 and 2024 seasons in between. The Eagles’ OCs during those Super Bowl years were current head coaches Shane Steichen and Kellen Moore. At the start of the year, Sirianni talked about sustained success and that certainly doesn’t mean first-round eliminations in the playoffs.
While it’s unfair to put all of this season’s offensive struggles on the offensive coordinator, changes need to be made and there simply aren’t many options other than firing the OC. It is therefore difficult to imagine that Patullo will return.
“I accept change, I accept that these things happen, that expectations aren’t met or that we have Super Bowl runs,” Hurts said. “I’ve been through both sides of it, so I have a unique perspective on it. I’m not going to allow this to be an excuse for us not to make it to the championship or for us not to have the success that we desire and that I desire.
“That’s what motivates me the most. Obviously, every year is different. Change is inevitable in many ways. My goal is growth. My goal is improvement. My goal is to meet the challenges that come with my career.”
After Hurts said he would trust Eagles executives with the Patullo decision, he was asked the same question about star receiver AJ Brown, who had a tumultuous 2024 season.
Brown, who was not available to reporters Monday, is under contract through 2026 and beyond. But after everything that’s happened with him this season, it’s fair to wonder if he’s already played his last game in an Eagles uniform.
“AJ and I talked,” Hurts said. “We’re in a good place. You can all talk to him and ask him.”
As Hurts spoke Monday afternoon, the Eagles were less than 24 hours into their 2026 offseason and there was a long way to go. There will be a lot of changes over the next few months and many of them on Hurts’ side of football.
When asked how much say he wants to have in some of these decisions, Hurts said his “line is always open” and said he wants to use his influence for the good of the team.
Ideally, what does Hurts want in an offense?
“I just want to win. I want to win,” he said. “You play the game to win championships. You play the game to play championships and you take advantage of those opportunities to win championships.
“Obviously it starts with cohesion, with flow and with a flow where everyone is on the same page and goes out there and does that. I think it’s been humbling for me as a leader. I’ve been able to learn more about myself, more about my team and more about what it takes and what it demands of a quarterback. I’ve only grown over my tenure.
“So those are things that I enjoy and that I’m very proud of. Like everything I’ve experienced so far in my career, it’s something that I can learn from and get better at. I look at this opportunity, I don’t look at this as any different.”
