As expected, Eagles quarterback coach Brian Johnson will be Nick Sirianni’s new offensive coordinator.
The news has been expected for a few weeks, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday morning that it’s now done, and a league source has confirmed the news.
Unsurprisingly, the highly regarded Johnson had “multiple opportunities” for other offensive coordinator roles before opting to stay with the Eagles.
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Johnson, who was coached in high school by the father of Jalen Hurts, enjoys a great relationship with the Eagles quarterback and is widely credited for Hurts’ historic rise from a raw backup who started four games in 2020 with modest success at the MVP finalist. and Super Bowl star in 2022.
Johnson will be the Eagles’ first African-American offensive coordinator and the NFL’s fourth, along with Eric Bieniemy of Washington, Byron Leftwich of the Bucs, Thomas Brown of the Panthers,
Johnson, 36, replaces Shane Steichen, who spent the past two years as offensive coordinator under Nick Sirianni before becoming Colts head coach.
The Eagles have placed in the top three in virtually every major offensive category in 2022 en route to a franchise-record 14 wins and a trip to the Super Bowl.
Sirianni said two weeks ago whoever replaces Steichen would call the games.
“It helps me handle the game better in my opinion,” he said. “It helps me to interact more with the players on the touchline. And it helps me to be able to discuss something with someone upstairs to put on the defensive helmet when the attack is up or vice versa. versa Yes, it will be my intention to let the next offensive coordinator decide the game.
Johnson was the play caller during his two years as offensive coordinator at Utah in 2012 and 2013 and also called plays as offensive coordinator at Houston in 2017. Utah averaged 27 and 29 points during his two years in Salt Lake City, and Houston averaged 28 points per game in 2017.
Johnson played a role in calling plays when he was Florida’s offensive coordinator in 2020, although head coach Dan Mullen served as the primary caller. The Gators averaged 40 points per game that year, which led Sirianni to hire Johnson.
Steichen is one of four assistant coaches who left Sirianni’s team this offseason. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon became Cards head coach, then hired Eagles linebackers coach Nick Rallis as defensive coordinator, and defensive quality control coach Joe Kasper left to become safety coach with the Dolphins under Mike McDaniel.
The Eagles have yet to officially announce any replacements.