Having been accustomed to making headlines during the Divisional playoffs from his time with the New England Patriots, Matt Patricia now finds himself at a crossroads in his coaching career with the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, Patricia appears to be one of the casualties resulting from a staff shakeup following the Eagles’ underwhelming postseason performance. According to reports from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Patricia, who had diverse roles during his 16 seasons with the Patriots (2004-17, 2021-22), is not expected to be retained on Nick Sirianni’s coaching staff for the 2024 season.
The recent staff purge included the departure of defensive coordinator Sean Desai and occurred just six days after the Eagles’ NFC title defense ended with a decisive 32-9 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Patricia, a 49-year-old coach with three Super Bowl victories in New England, including two as the team’s defensive coordinator, has faced challenges in recent coaching assignments. After an unsuccessful stint as the head coach of the Detroit Lions (13-29-1 in two-plus seasons), he returned to New England and held various roles, even taking on offensive playcalling duties for the 2022 season. However, his tenure was cut short after New England’s decline in both points (from sixth to 17th) and yardage (from 15th to 26th).
Patricia then joined the Philadelphia Eagles in the spring, assuming the role of a senior defensive assistant. Although he was granted defensive playcalling duties for the final four regular-season games and a playoff game, the Eagles faced challenges, losing three of their last four regular-season matchups and relinquishing the NFC East title to the Dallas Cowboys.
As the Eagles undergo a coaching staff overhaul, Patricia’s future remains uncertain. Speculation arises regarding the possibility of him returning for a third term in New England, with DeMarcus Covington emerging as a potential favorite for the defensive coordinator position under new head coach Jerod Mayo, given Covington’s seven-season tenure in Foxborough, including the last four as the defensive line coach. The next chapters in Patricia’s coaching career will undoubtedly be closely watched and analyzed by fans and pundits alike.
