Former Detroit Lions head coach and New England Patriots assistant, Matt Patricia, is set to join the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff as a senior defensive assistant (espn.com). The news was announced by the Eagles, but then quickly deleted from their website, causing confusion among fans and media alike (cbsnews.com). However, sources have confirmed the hiring (espn.com), and it appears the Eagles are “trending” towards officially hiring Patricia (nfl.com).
One potential awkward situation arising from Patricia’s hiring is his past relationship with Eagles cornerback Darius Slay. Slay played for Patricia during his time with the Lions and has been vocal about his dislike for him (philadelphia Inquirer). Slay’s reaction to the news has yet to be seen, but many in the NFL community are curious about the reunion between the two (thespun.com).
Before his time with the Lions, Patricia spent several years as an assistant coach for the New England Patriots, where he won three Super Bowls (cbssports.com). He spent the 2020 season working with the Patriots’ offense before being let go in November (cbssports.com).
The Eagles have been busy this offseason, making several coaching moves, including the hiring of head coach Nick Sirianni (philadelphia inquirer). Under Sirianni’s leadership, the team appears to be trying to rebuild its defense with the addition of Patricia and others (athlonsports.com).
Overall, it remains to be seen what impact Patricia will have on the Eagles defense or his relationship with Slay. However, it is clear that the Eagles are making moves to try and improve their team’s performance in the upcoming season.
