The Philadelphia Eagles are turning the page - and not just flipping to a new chapter, but rewriting the offensive playbook entirely.
After parting ways with offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and signaling a need for a philosophical reset, head coach Nick Sirianni has steered the franchise toward a bold new direction. The hiring of Sean Mannion, a former quarterback and assistant under Matt LaFleur, Sean McVay, and other branches of the modern West Coast coaching tree, is more than just a personnel move - it’s a statement.
The Eagles aren’t tweaking around the edges. They’re overhauling the entire offensive identity.
And they’re not doing it halfway.
Mannion is just the first domino. Philly has since brought in a cadre of assistants with similar roots.
Pass game coordinator Josh Grizzard arrives with experience under Mike McDaniel (from the Kyle Shanahan lineage) and Liam Coen (another McVay disciple). Ryan Mahaffey, a former LaFleur assistant, steps in to design the run game.
And Chris Kuper, who worked under Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota (yet another offshoot of the McVay tree), takes over the offensive line.
So what does all this mean for the Eagles’ offense in 2026? In short: expect a system that looks and feels dramatically different from anything we’ve seen in the five seasons under Sirianni.
Let’s break it down.
Under Center: A New Foundation
For most of Sirianni’s tenure, the Eagles lived in shotgun - and for good reason. With Jalen Hurts under center, the offense thrived on RPOs, quick reads, and the threat of Hurts as a runner. It was a system tailored to his strengths and, for a while, it worked.
But things changed after 2022. The league tightened its officiating around RPOs, and defenses began to catch up. By 2025, the Eagles started experimenting with under center formations for the first time in the Sirianni-Hurts era.
The results? Mixed, but promising.
While the Eagles still leaned heavily on shotgun, their limited under center snaps actually yielded a 0.00 EPA per play - not great, but not a disaster either, especially for a team just dipping its toes into that style. For comparison, only 10 teams finished with a positive EPA per play from under center last season.
The Eagles ranked 13th. The Packers, where Mannion coached quarterbacks, were eighth.
In other words, there’s a foundation to build on.
The under center game opens up a whole new layer of offensive possibilities - from downhill runs to layered play action. And with Mannion at the helm, that’s likely where the Eagles are headed.
Play Action: Unlocking the Middle of the Field
One of the biggest benefits of going under center? Play action.
The Super Bowl-winning Seahawks led the league in EPA per pass on play action last year (+0.36), and it’s no coincidence that their offense leaned heavily on under center concepts. When the quarterback turns his back to the defense and sells a run fake, it forces defenders - especially linebackers - to hesitate.
That hesitation creates windows. And those windows are where big plays live.
Last year, the Eagles ranked 22nd in EPA per pass on play action - dead even at 0.00. That’s a clear area for improvement.
Meanwhile, the Packers were among the league’s best, ranking fourth in play action EPA (+0.28). The Vikings weren’t far behind.
Mannion comes from systems that know how to weaponize play action. The expectation is that he’ll bring that same approach to Philadelphia - and that could be a game-changer for Hurts.
Historically, Hurts hasn’t attacked the middle of the field as aggressively as some of his peers. But with a more robust play action game, especially one that stems from under center, the Eagles could finally start exploiting that area more consistently.
Motion: Eye Candy with a Purpose
If you’ve watched any Shanahan or McVay offense over the past few years, you know motion isn’t just for show. It’s a tool - a way to diagnose coverages, create leverage, and manipulate defenders before the ball is even snapped.
The Eagles, however, were among the league’s least active teams in terms of motion last season. That’s about to change.
Both the Packers and Buccaneers - two teams whose offensive coaches now reside in Philly - ranked near the top of the league in motion usage. Even the Vikings, despite a dip in 2025 due to quarterback instability, used more motion than the Eagles.
And it’s not just about volume - it’s about impact. In Week 4, the Bucs used pre-snap motion from Chris Godwin to spring rookie Emeka Egbuka for a 77-yard touchdown against the Eagles. That kind of misdirection - creating confusion and hesitation in the secondary - is exactly what this new-look offense will try to replicate.
Expect to see a lot more jet motion, orbit motion, and shifts that force defenses to communicate and adjust on the fly. It’s not just about being flashy - it’s about creating high-percentage looks and favorable matchups.
Big Picture: A Philosophical Pivot
This isn’t just a new playcaller with a few fresh ideas. This is a full-scale transition to a different offensive philosophy - one rooted in structure, deception, and balance.
Gone are the days of leaning almost exclusively on RPOs and shotgun runs. The Eagles are building an offense designed to stress defenses horizontally and vertically, pre- and post-snap. It’s about marrying the run and pass games, creating defined reads for the quarterback, and forcing defenders into conflict.
And while change always comes with growing pains, the pieces are in place. Hurts has the arm talent and athleticism to thrive in a system that plays to timing and anticipation.
The offensive line, long a strength in Philly, is well-suited to the zone-heavy schemes that come with this coaching tree. And the skill players - depending on how the offseason shakes out - could benefit from more motion and spacing.
The Eagles made it clear they wanted a new direction. With Sean Mannion and his staff, they’ve chosen one that has proven successful across the NFL. Now it’s about execution.
One thing’s for sure: the 2026 Eagles offense won’t look anything like what we’ve seen before. And that might be exactly what they need.