PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Some Eagles veterans have been speaking highly of rookie head coach Nick Sirianni. Not all observers are on board, but Sirianni has his defenders. Recently, right tackle Lane Johnson wasted no time smacking down an NFL Network analyst for his unenthusiastic appraisal of the coach.
"I feel like Coach Sirianni is taking great command of the team — holding everybody accountable," Johnson said on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" on Tuesday.
Johnson went on to call the 2020 season "an embarrassment" and something the Eagles are "ready to change."
Later that day, NFL Network analyst, former NFL fullback and former Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson expressed his doubts about the coach on another NFL Network program.
"To me, the biggest obstacle is: Do we even really know the head coach, Nick Sirianni? When you talk about quarterbacks, and quarterbacks wanting to go to Indy last year ... it wasn't like they were going there because of [former Colts offensive coordinator] Nick Sirianni. They were going there because of [Colts head coach] Frank Reich, right," Robinson said.
"So ... I don't know if he's a quarterback whisperer or an offensive guru, or whatever the case may be, but it just doesn't seem like that he is that guy. It seems Frank Reich was calling plays and Frank Reich was the juice behind that offense, so I think it's about this team getting to know Nick Sirianni."
He said he wouldn't name anyone, but that he knows some guys in the locker room who question whether Sirianni can really lead the team.
"My personal thoughts on it is that maybe [Eagles General Manager] Howie Roseman wanted to put somebody — a 'yes' man — in the head coaching position, because [former Eagles head coach] Doug Pederson didn't want to do things all the way [Roseman's] way."
When Johnson got word of Robinson's comments, he retweeted 94WIP's link to the story, adding, "Say the names then. Enough with the BS hiding. #fakenews"
Recent seasons have seen other stories about negative anonymous comments coming out of the Eagles locker room — most notably negative anonymous comments about former quarterback Carson Wentz, who is now a Colt.
Later on Tuesday, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox tweeted, "Who lying today....?????" which many Twitter users suspected was in response to Robinson's remarks.
