Nick Sirianni

Q. You have a new defensive backfield coaching staff. What attracted you and maybe Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio to these defensive back coaches that you hired and how do you think they’ve helped you reshape or reconstruct at cornerback and safety? (Marcus Hayes)

NICK SIRIANNI: Good question, Marcus. I really – obviously, I had worked with [Safeties Coach] Joe Kasper before and had so much respect for him and everything that he brought to the table in 2021, 2022, so when we got Vic here and had the chance to get Joe back, that was a no-brainer. We were able to jump on that.

[Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach] Christian Parker is just highly respected around the league, and I think to myself – I don’t know exactly how old Christian Parker is, exact age – but I don’t know if you would have asked around the league, a bunch of people, when I was 25 or 26 – I know he’s not 25 – 30 years old, people would have been like “who’s that,” right.

So, to understand that he’s had this type of respect and this type of name because of this product that he’s put on the field and his coaching that he’s done is pretty impressive. Obviously, Vic had worked with him, and he’s been as advertised. I’m really excited about Christian, and I know our defensive backs are really excited about him as well.

And then having [Cornerbacks Coach] Roy Anderson– he was in Seattle with [Senior Defensive Assistant/Defensive Line Coach] Clint Hurtt last year and everybody talked so highly of him. Saw [Ravens Head Coach] John Harbaugh before the game when we played the Ravens, and he just raved about him as well.

Again, the guys get their foot in the door potentially because someone had worked with them, or we’ve heard a good thing about them. Then you do the research on the person, and just a lot of good reports coming back on all those guys. And then you don’t know it completely until they get in the building, and they’ve just done a phenomenal job.

Q. When you’re going up against a team with a new defensive coordinator for Week 1, what goes into the preparation? How do you try to figure out what they’re going to run? What are you looking at? (Tim McManus)

NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, you have to try to dig as much as you possibly can. Also knowing that Week 1, there’s a lot of unknowns that are going to happen throughout the league, even with people with defensive coordinators who have been there for the year. Obviously, everyone’s been doing different things throughout the year, studying different things, adding new wrinkles to their defenses and offenses. We’ll have to be ready to adjust to anything that we get.

You try to go back to when he was a head coach, when he was at Boston College. Got a lot of respect for the coach [Packers Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley] himself. He’s obviously done an unbelievable job to earn the opportunity to be the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers is obviously a huge honor too.

We’ll have to be ready for anything. Without giving up secrets of what we’ve done, we’ve looked at a bunch of stuff as well, but also knowing everything is alive, right. There are other guys on the staff that probably have influence as well of what they talk about.

Then obviously [Packers Head] Coach [Matt] LaFleur, have so much respect for him and the coach that he is and what he’s done in this league, and you know he is going to have an influence on it as well. We have to be ready for everything.

Q. How eager are you to put RB Saquon Barkley out there in your offense? (Brooks Kubena)

NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, he made a run at practice yesterday and I just remember – I was wearing sunglasses, it was sunny, I was just kind of taking my sunglasses off and looking at a couple of coaches like, “Alright, this is awesome that we got him here.” Not only for the play that he brings to the field and the cut that he made yesterday at practice, but also his leadership and the person that we have.

I think you’re so excited as a coach for everything. You asked me about Saquon. Super excited for him. We are up here in the team meeting today and the words that came out of my mouth, “Hey, we have got to be ready Friday night.” Wow, what an unbelievable thing to say we have a game Friday night, that gives me goosebumps to think about that.

Friday Night Football is what we all first — those were the like my favorite players growing up, because my dad was a coach, were the high school players that played on Friday night– John Briggs, it was my brother Jay Sirianni, Mike Sirianni, Pete Connelly. Those were my favorite players growing up. ‘Friday Night Football.’ I was able to say that to these guys.

The excitement should be so high on every level, not just for Saquon, just for all of us. This is why we fell in love with this game.

And I’m so excited to be able to go to Brazil to play in front of very passionate fans. Obviously super bummed we don’t get to play in front of our passionate fans. I love our fans, the home field advantage that we have.

But, excited. This is my first international trip and excited and know how much they care about sports in Brazil, so I’m excited about that. It’s Friday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers.

You take me back to when those guys were my favorite players and if you said to me, “Hey, Friday night, September whatever, 2024, you’re going to be the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles,’ – and I’m ten years old – ‘and you’re playing the Green Bay Packers,” I mean, I would’ve been pretty pumped about that and I’m still pumped about that.

Man, there are so many things to be excited for, and Saquon a obviously a big one of those.

Q. What’s your plan for what you will do on the flight? Your personal plan– (Bob Brookover)

NICK SIRIANNI: My personal plan?

Q. For nine hours. Is it a day in the office? (Bob Brookover)

NICK SIRIANNI: I fall asleep on trips like that, and that’s been since I’ve been — any time Mount Union played when I was growing up, my brother was playing there, wherever we went, if it was a five-hour trip, I slept from the moment we left Jamestown, New York, to wherever we got to.

My natural reaction is when there is movement — I don’t get to do that anymore because every time we do a family trip, my wife doesn’t drive, I have to drive everywhere. Which I will gladly do because the kids are nuts during that time and she has to handle them and get the snacks and fix the iPads and the television.

But, I will probably fall asleep, but obviously can’t do that the whole time. [Offensive Coordinator] Kellen [Moore] and I and [Passing Game Coordinator/Associate Head Coach] Kevin Patullo are going to watch something together on the way up. Not like The Price is Right. I don’t know why the first thing that popped in my mind.

Watch some film together on the way up, so that’s a chunk. There are a couple things I’m thinking, I’m going to watch this with these guys, watch this with these guys. Any good suggestions on any movies that are out or anything like that? Nothing? Anybody?

Okay, maybe you guys can tell me on the side.

So, a little bit of work, I’ll definitely fall asleep a little bit, and then a little bit of just relaxing there as well.

Because today is our Friday, right? That’s why we’re meeting with you today. Tomorrow is like our Saturday, but then we get another Saturday, so we’re obviously way ahead in all those different things.

There is still last-minute– and a lot of unknowns as we talked about, but still some things obviously that we’re saving for that trip to be able to go over.

Q. At the beginning of this process of QB Jalen Hurts learning Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore’s offense, he spoke about wanting it to become his own through this process. What have you seen with the collaboration of them and Kellen Moore feeling out what’s comfortable for Jalen Hurts and the collaboration with those two? (John Clark)

NICK SIRIANNI: Jalen has done such a phenomenal job. He’s just had a phenomenal camp and he’s had a phenomenal week of practice. Looking forward to going out there and seeing practice again today.

Like I said, he dove into everything that he needs to do to be a great quarterback and continue to be a great quarterback in this league. He’s worked his butt off not only on the offense, but also with his strength and conditioning, with his leadership, with his accuracy, with his decision making.

And I’ve just seen him attack the off-season and the training camp like I’m so used to seeing Jalen attack everything. And I’m excited for him to be able to go out there and show everybody what he’s been working on, because he’s put so much time into it.

I’m excited for his season that he’s going to have and who he is as a player.

Q. What do you know about your exact setup down there? Is it different than a typical road game? (Dave Zangaro)

NICK SIRIANNI: As far as…

Q. As far as hotel setup, practice setup, all that stuff. (Dave Zangaro)

NICK SIRIANNI: I know that we just have so many good people in this building that everything is going to be just the way it is as we are here– if we were at an away game.

I have so much faith and trust in the people that are in this building that do the things that they do. When we talk about the greatest team game there is in football, that is true, and you tend to think about only the people on the field and the coaches.

But, gosh, there are so many people that go into making this whole thing go. And so, it’ll be as similar as we possibly can make it with everything, without giving away too much. I don’t want to say too much there.

It couldn’t be done without the great people of this organization, led by [Chairman and Chief Executive Officer] Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie and everything he does for us. There is no stone unturned. Everything we need to win, he provides for us.