Nick Sirianni

Q. We saw the video of the moment where QB Jalen Hurts gave you the game ball after the win, what did that mean to you and what has that relationship meant to you in your year and a half as a coach here? (Dave Zangaro)

NICK SIRIANNI: It’s always cool, something like that, so that meant a lot that Jalen flipped me that ball right there, and probably just the same way it meant a lot to Mr. Lurie [Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Lurie] when I flipped him the ball after the Houston game.

It’s always good. The relationship with Jalen, I just really appreciate the quarterback, head coach relationship that we have and how it’s grown over the last year and a half. We know more and more about each other, not only in football, but in our personal lives, too.

That’s what’s so important to me in coaching and playing, are the relationships that you have and the connecting that you have. Because I think, one, that’s important to team chemistry and what you’re becoming as a team, and, two, that’s why we get into this, so we can continue to be on a team and we can continue to have those relationships that come from the ups and downs of a season.

Q. We also saw a video of you jumping on a bench screaming some things towards fans. There has been some reaction to that. Looking back at it, is that how you want to handle those types of victories considering the emotion that was involved? (Jeff McLane)

NICK SIRIANNI: You know what, it is an emotional game. I was yelling towards our fans, and with the way — and you probably saw — I was brought to tears too when I was coming off the field there. I’ve always kind of been emotional. That doesn’t mean that — too much of anything is not a good thing, right?

Me yelling to our fans after the game, whether I’m yelling to them after an Indy game or thanking them after the Houston game or the Arizona game, I just think that’s something that the people that went to the game and who are Eagles fans that are traveling to the game, I can show my appreciation to them on that.

Sometimes it’s, hey — I know everyone saw what I said this game, but the last couple games were, ‘Hey, thanks so much. You guys made this happen.’ And so, yeah, sometimes it’s fun to celebrate with the fans, but it is also that it’s after the game, and when I don’t have anything else to do but shake hands on the other side and not during the game.

Now, do I sometimes get emotional during the game? Of course. But I always want to limit that, and obviously I don’t want to do that emotionally with a fan during a game.

Q. Is there a guy on the staff that you trust to check you in case you’re getting too emotional? (Bo Wulf)

NICK SIRIANNI: Man, I got a lot of good guys over there to do that. [Vice President of Player Performance] Ted Rath makes sure I’m back, but you can see he’s pretty emotional with what he does. [Passing Game Coordinator] Kevin [Patullo], there was a video that someone sent me — he’s supposed to be the calm one that calms me down, too — but there was a video of [WR] Quez [Watkins] scoring that touchdown and it was like, look at Nick Sirianni’s reaction to when Quez scores a touchdown, and it’s Kevin because we kind of look alike and it’s him going crazy, so he didn’t help me out there.

And [Senior Advisor to the General Manager/Chief Security Officer] Dom [DiSandro] nis good at making sure I stay calm.

Q. QB Jalen Hurts and WR A.J. Brown’s relationship is pretty well documented. Curious what it looks like during the week. What stands out about it? Is there any way it’s beneficial for the whole collective? (Tim McManus)

NICK SIRIANNI: They sit right there where [The Athletic reporter] Zach [Berman] [sits] and they talk at times, and they argue at times. They’re really close. It’s really cool.

Any time the relationships of players is a strong bond, that’s only going to help you as a team. Again, that’s what we go back to. That’s the great part of being a team.

I think about my best friends growing up and the high school friends, we still talk about some things that happened in football practice or this and that, and we cherish those times. That’s probably why myself and my other best friend, his name is Tom Langworthy, he’s coaching still. Just lost in the regional finals. With all the snow in Buffalo, he had to play it on Monday.

But what I’m getting to is we have all these — we love football and stayed in football because of those relationships. Those guys will have that relationship forever too. They’re getting to play together. I think it’s really special the relationship they have.

Now, Tom Langworthy and I will tell you that we’ve gotten into some major arguments, and some major fights, because that’s part of it, too. They don’t get like that quite as much, but there is arguing going on as well.

It’s because they love each other and because they both want to succeed for each other. For themselves and for the team, but for each other.

I think you have heard A.J. talk about that. I think that’s a special thing. I got my Hurts SZN hat from A.J. Yeah, that’s pretty special.

Q. What would the arguing be over? (Tim McManus)

NICK SIRIANNI: It could be anything. It’s all for the greater good of the team.

Q. The only times we really see you get emotional is I guess immediately after games. Talk about even keeled and staying focused and all that during the week, locker room, on the field after a game. Do you have a sense of like how your players appreciate that and what it means to them to see you like that and to show that side of you? (Reuben Frank)

NICK SIRIANNI: I think just the thing that I want my players to see is that I’m always trying to be myself and not trying to hide who I am. I think if you try to hide who you are, they’ll see through that. They’re smart.

And so, yeah, me showing my emotion after a game I think is — as long as I’m under control, is completely appropriate. I’m okay that players see how I feel after a game. I don’t hide from them in here, and they know what I feel after — when I review the tape with them on a particular play or a particular series of plays.

That’s just getting to know everybody and letting them see, not just the football side of you, but all sides of you.

Q. There was a playful moment on the radio show calling for Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon to be assistant coach the year. Why was it important for you to stand up for him? (Zach Berman)

NICK SIRIANNI: I think someone told me the last poll question; I didn’t like that last poll question. Really nobody makes that decision but me.

Anyway, I stuck up for him because I believe in [Defensive Coordinator] Jonathan Gannon. I appreciate you asking this question. I believe in Jonathan Gannon. He’s a great football coach, and you have continued to see the defenses get better and better and better as he’s been here.

I get it, we all get it, we’re in a week-to-week league when it comes to some of these things, right? We know that after a bad performance they’re going to be calling for us. After a good performance, right, whatever. So, we understand the waves of the season.

I just thought it was important, too, like, one, I believe in him, and he knows that, I tell him that all the time. But after just such a great defensive performance, and it has been the great defensive performance throughout the year in a lot — like think about where we are in all the major statistical things and the turnovers and the explosive plays. Really all I care about statistically are turnovers, explosive plays, and points, and we’re doing a really good job in all those things.

I just have so much faith in him, I have so much faith in his staff, so much faith in those players. They play for him. I just think he’s a special coach. I would love for him to be here the entire time I’m the head coach here, but I know that that’s probably not reality.

I love Jonathan Gannon, how he coaches, and just who he is as a person. I’m so glad he’s our defensive coordinator.

Q. How is DT Jordan Davis progressing and how could you see that rotation shaking up? (Josh Tolentino)

NICK SIRIANNI: We don’t have make that decision yet. You think about it, but we have to think about what we have to do this week, right? There is a time to think about what the rotation is going to be like. It’s never going to be a bad thing that we have a good rotation at defensive line.

I know sometimes as an offensive coach — and I don’t remember if I said this to the media here, but when you see a team is not very deep on the defensive line, you can say to yourself, we’re going to wear them down. We’re going to wear them down. Our offensive line is going to lean on them and we’re going to go fast, we’re going to do this, we’re going to do that, we’re going to make — right?

But when you have a deep defensive line and the wave keeps coming at you and coming at you, that’s great. When [DT] Jordan [Davis] gets back that’ll be great, because we get another great player into our mix.

He’s doing good. He’s progressing nicely. I will never put a timetable on him, but he’s working hard to get himself back.

Q. T Lane Johnson was your organization’s nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. What does that say about him as a player, as a competitor, and as a person? (Michael Smith)

NICK SIRIANNI: I think it says exactly all those things, all of the above, what type of player he is, what type of person he is, and that he’s top notch, right? As a competitor, he’s top notch.

One of my favorite things is when [T] Lane [Johnson] comes off after a big drive and he’s got this big smile on his face and he high fives me. You can just feel Lane’s presence right there, and I look forward to that. I want to score more touchdowns than anything, but one of the products of that is I get to see Lane, who’s not on field goal team. I see him first. He’s right there. We’re high fiving. That’s awesome, and he’s a captain on this team as you know.

It just speaks so much to who Lane is. Not only the best tackle in this game, but also just a phenomenal leader, a phenomenal teammate, a phenomenal person.

Q. A year ago he took his sabbatical. How have you seen him evolve and grow in the year since he left to deal with his mental health struggles? (Michael Smith)

NICK SIRIANNI: Awesome that he took the time to do that. I think that’s really special of [T] Lane [Johnson], too. Not only did he take his time to get himself where he needed to be, but also uses his platform to help other people.

That speaks to who Lane is, too, right? He wants to use what he went through to help other people. When you have someone do that — I appreciate you asking that question, because I love bragging on our guys — that’s just really special.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.