How can Nick Sirianni save his job? Eagles' path becomes more difficult without Lane Johnson

Sirianni has his work cut out for him after his star right tackle called it a career

Oct 6, 2026 at 7:07 pm ET • 4 min read

A 2-2 start to the season and the offensive woes that caused it increased the scrutiny on Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni. Less than two years removed from a Super Bowl victory, Sirianni entered the 2026 campaign with little concern about his job security, but his seat warmed over the first four weeks and could reach scalding temperatures if he cannot reverse the Eagles' fortunes.

The chances of Sirianni righting the ship took a significant blow on Tuesday when star offensive tackle Lane Johnson announced his sudden retirement from the NFL. Over the course of Johnson's career, Philadelphia ranked in the top three in offensive efficiency with him on the field and in the bottom six without him. His now permanent absence does not bode well for a unit that has looked bleak thus far in 2026.

Regardless of Johnson's availability, Philadelphia owns a bottom-tier defense through four games. The Eagles rank 26th in scoring at 18.8 points per game and an even worse 29th in total offense at 269.8 yards per game. Despite boasting an elite running back in Saquon Barkley, the squad is a middle-of-the-pack rushing offense. And only two teams hold a lower EPA per pass.

Last week, the Eagles made franchise history with their worst third-down execution in a single game. They went 0-for-12 on third down in the 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, which contributed largely to a late collapse in which they squandered a 10-point lead with less than four minutes to play.

The issues are not limited to just one facet of the offense. This was an issue last year, too, and now that it has become a trend, eyes are on Sirianni as the man responsible for fixing it.

Struggles do not fall solely on Sirianni

In Sirianni's defense, most coaching staffs would have found it difficult to move the ball against the star-studded Rams with the personnel available to him. Preventing Los Angeles' fourth-quarter comeback would have been a challenge considering the state of the defense, too. The following notable players were either inactive for Week 4 or suffered in-game injuries that prevented them from finishing the contest.

• RB Saquon Barkley: Suffered hamstring injury in Week 4
• WR DeVonta Smith: Inactive with hamstring injury
• TE Dallas Goedert: Inactive with sprained MCL
• OG Cam Jurgens: Entered concussion protocol in Week 4
• OG Landon Dickerson: On injured reserve with knee bone bruise
• OT Lane Johnson: Inactive due to personal reasons, later retired
• LB Zack Baun: Inactive due to concussion protocol
• LB Jonathan Greenard: Suffered ankle injury in Week 4
• CB Quinyon Mitchell: Hyperextended knee in Week 4
• S Marcus Epps: Inactive with groin injury

That does not even include the likes of Hollywood Brown, Tank Bigsby, Fred Johnson and other key non-starters who are on the shelf.

Sean Mannion hire has not panned out

Only two of Sirianni's three offensive coordinator hires have been fruitful. And since Kellen Moore left at the end of the 2024 season, the team has not been able to acquire a similarly high-caliber play-caller. There was hope that Sean Mannion would bring a fresh perspective this season in his first year as a coordinator, but the results thus far are underwhelming at best, and Sirianni has to own that.

Jalen Hurts' own limitations at quarterback and the loss of A.J. Brown following his trade to the New England Patriots have been obvious. The Eagles need a coordinator who can mask those deficiencies like Moore and Shane Steichen did in their combined three seasons at the helm. The jury is still out on Mannion, but early returns are not nearly as promising as the team would have hoped.

If Sirianni has to fire a second offensive coordinator in as many years, the focus will be trained even more closely on himself moving forward. And at the rate things are declining, it is uncertain whether he would even have time to make another change to his staff before his time is up.

How can Nick Sirianni save his job?

Philadelphia's next three-game stretch is a grind. Each of its next three games comes against potential playoff teams in the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys. Considering the Eagles just dropped back-to-back games against that caliber of opponent, they will need to perform at a higher level in order to prevent an extended losing streak. Emerging from this stretch at 2-1 and thus holding a winning record through Week 7 would go a long way in keeping Sirianni's sixth year afloat.

It will take a lot of behind-the-scenes work to achieve those results. Sirianni first has to figure out how to overcome the loss of Johnson. History suggests that the offense will be even worse in the weeks to come without its stalwart right tackle. He also needs to instill greater discipline throughout his roster after consecutive weeks with 10 penalties and after falling into a minus-three turnover deficit.

And then there is the preparation aspect. The Eagles did not look ready in the slightest for the Chicago Bears' third-string quarterback, Case Keenum, two weeks ago. Sirianni's game-planning and CEO skills will be put to the test this week when the Eagles play in London. Not only is this international trip out of the ordinary, but it comes against a Jacksonville team that is deeply familiar with playing overseas. If the Eagles look lost in Week 5, much of that could come back to Sirianni.

The Eagles' coaching staff simply needs to keep its team competitive against tough competition and without a myriad of its best players. If Philadelphia comes out of this grueling stretch alive, then there will be enough opportunities on the other side to salvage this season or completely correct its course.