NFL

The Philadelphia Eagles Need to Resist the Temptation of a Super Bowl Reunion With Frank Reich

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Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni talk during the NFL Scouting Combine.

There isn’t much going wrong with the Philadelphia Eagles so far this season. The Eagles are the only undefeated team left in the NFL at 8-0, they’ve led every game by double digits, and they haven’t trailed once in the second half all year.

No matter how dominant the Eagles have looked all season, though, there’s always room for improvement. Some fans believe that could come in the form of Frank Reich, the offensive coordinator of Philadelphia’s 2018 Super Bowl team who was just fired by the Indianapolis Colts. Although a Reich reunion might sound alluring in anticipation of another Super Bowl run, the Eagles need to resist the urge to mess with their coaching staff this season.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Former Eagles OC Frank Reich is back on the market

Reich will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Philadelphia sports fans everywhere. He served as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator for just two years, but he found a way to transform Nick Foles from a mediocre starting quarterback to a Super Bowl MVP in the span of a few weeks.

Reich, along with Doug Pederson, coached the offense to 38 points against the Minnesota Vikings in the 2018 NFC Championship Game and 41 points against Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

It was a magical run for Reich, and he was rewarded with his first NFL head coaching job the following season. In four full seasons with the Colts, Reich led the team to a 37-28 record and two playoff appearances. But he couldn’t make it through Year 5, as Indianapolis fired him after starting the season 3-5-1.

Reich is now back on the open market, and the Eagles have understandably stood out as his next landing spot because of his previous success with the team and his friendship with head coach Nick Sirianni. Sirianni served as the offensive coordinator in Indy for three years under Reich before landing the Eagles’ head job in 2021.

There may be some mutual interest in a reunion between the two, but the Eagles should stay far away.

The Eagles need to resist the urge to bring back Frank Reich

Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni talk during the NFL Scouting Combine.
Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich chats with Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni during the NFL Scouting Combine | Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

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On paper, Reich returning to the Eagles as an offensive assistant seems to be a no-brainer. The city loves him, he’s one of the best offensive minds in the business, and he knows how to handle the pressure of coaching a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

But if the Eagles want to reach their ultimate goal of winning a championship this season, they need to stay far away from Reich.

Philadelphia’s offense currently ranks second in the NFL in points per game (28.1), second in touchdowns per game (3.5), and eighth in yards per play (5.8). OC Shane Steichen has also been exceptional as a play caller all year long. He found a way to unlock Jalen Hurts as a passer, and he’s been as creative as anyone in the run game.

Reich was successful at drawing up run-pass options for Foles, but this offense with a mobile quarterback is much different. Steichen has taken the RPO game to the next level by supplying Hurts with three options on nearly every play.

If the Eagles bring Reich back as an offensive assistant, it would ruin the chemistry this coaching staff has built up through nine weeks. This is one of the most efficient and most explosive offenses in the NFL right now, and there’s no reason to mess with it for a sense of nostalgia.

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