Eagles remove offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo after wild card loss to depleted 49ers

Kevin Patullo will no longer be the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator after a rocky first year in the role. Nick Sirianni released a statement on Tuesday confirming Patullo had been relieved of those duties following Philly's 23-19 loss to the 49ers in their wild card game on Sunday. 

"I have decided to make a change at offensive coordinator. I met with Kevin today to discuss the difficult decision, as he is a great coach who has my utmost respect. He has been integral to this team's success over the last five years, not only to the on-field product but behind the scenes as a valued leader for our players and organization. I have no doubt he will continue to have a successful coaching career. Ultimately, when we fall short of our goals that responsibility lies on my shoulders." 

The Eagles finished the season in the bottom half of the league in passing and rushing productivity, and were also in the middle of the pack in terms of efficiency and success rate. Given the investment into the offense by the Eagles' front office and the success they had a year ago running the football en route to a Super Bowl victory, the step back the team took following the departure of Kellen Moore and Patullo taking over as offensive coordinator was too much to ignore in Philly.

While Patullo won't be the offensive coordinator anymore, there's still a chance he remains on staff with the Eagles, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. As Sirianni noted in his statement, he still believes strongly in what Patullo brought the organization on and off the field, and there's a possibility he simply moves to a different role. 

Eagles fans lobbed plenty of criticism (and eggs) at Patullo throughout the year, and some of the Eagles' star players voiced their frustrations with the offense's struggles -- most notably star receiver A.J. Brown. However, there is a question of how much of the Eagles' offensive woes truly rest on the shoulders of Patullo, and how much improvement can be expected next year with Jalen Hurts still under center.

The Eagles have struggled to find a permanent answer at offensive coordinator ever since Shane Steichen left to take the Colts' top coaching job. Brian Johnson and Patullo failed to consistently reach the heights the Eagles hoped to hit, while Moore was able to get the most out of the running game in a Super Bowl winning year before becoming the Saints coach. Many of the same concerns with the passing game have been consistent across coordinators, which points to offensive limitations being dictated at least in part by the quarterback play. 

Even so, Sirianni and the Eagles will hit the coordinator carousel again and hope to find someone who can maximize their talented roster -- even with the expectations that changes are likely coming there as well.