Nick Sirianni on Frank Reich: 'I’m always going to use him as a consultant'
PHILADELPHIA - When the Indianapolis Colts fired Frank Reich on Monday, the first reaction for many Eagles fans was to want to bring the well-liked former Eagles offensive coordinator back into the fold.
For Nick Sirianni, his former mentor already is helping whether any kind of advisory or consulting role is made official.
The odds are against anything formal because Reich is under contract through 2026 with the Colts and the Eagles happen to be 8-0 so there is no conceivable reason to upset the apple cart when it comes to the offensive coaching staff.
That said, Reich is so close to Sirianni that the questions had to be asked, starting with the Eagles coach's reaction to Jim Irsay's decision.
“Obviously, I’m only concerned about what’s going on here," said Sirianni. "Trying to keep my eyes on the situation here and that’s being ready for Washington, But, as you know what I think about Frank and how much I respect Frank as a person, how much I respect him as a football coach, you can probably imagine how I feel.”
Reich and Sirianni worked together on the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers’ staff and again with Indianapolis when Sirianni was Reich's OC before getting the top job in Philadelphia with Reich's hearty recommendation.
The only time the two haven't worked together over the past ten years was when Reich was in Philadelphia under Doug Pederson from 2016-17 and after Sirianni took the Eagles job in 2021.
For now, any communication between Reich and Sirianni is likely to remain informal communication between friends, though.
"We’ll see how that goes. I don’t know yet,” Sirianni said. “That’s not something that’s been … that happened when? Monday? My focus has been completely on Washington. Again, you know how I feel about Frank.
"I’m always going to use him as a consultant whether he’s in the building or if he’s not in the building. I haven’t really even thought of that to be completely honest with you. We’re just really focused on today to get ready for Washington.”
The Eagles are well-stocked with coaches when it comes to the passing game on the No. 3 offense with OC Shane Steichen, an emerging head-coaching candidate around the league, passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo and quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson.
If attrition takes hold, however, and Reich isn't afforded another head-coaching opportunity elsewhere the veteran coach would surely have a soft landing spot waiting for him in Philadelphia in 2023.
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen