February 15, 2023
After offensive coordinator Shane Steichen departed to become the Colts' new head coach, the Eagles are in the market for a new OC. The obvious choice seems to be an in-house promotion, bumping up current quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, whose done wonders working with Jalen Hurts.
Speaking on 97.5 The Fanatic on Wednesday morning, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter appears confident that Johnson is the person for the job:
"The offensive coordinator is going to be Brian Johnson, that I don’t think there’s any question there. That you can take to the bank basically." [97.5 The Fanatic]
It makes sense. Johnson has helped oversee Hurts' transformation from an uneven passer to one of the game's top quarterbacks since joining the organization in 2021. He'd likely be primed for an offensive coordinator job elsewhere after the Eagles' 2022 success, so staying in this system that has done all parties well is the simplest and likely best solution here.
"Brian Johnson would've been handed at least 6 OC jobs around the league, there was interest in him"
— Jamie Lynch (@jelynchjr) February 15, 2023
Hurts has a longstanding relationship with Johnson. Hurts has known Johnson since his youth, dating back to the days that Hurts' father, Averion, was an assistant coach at Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown, Texas, where Johnson played football.
Two years into their NFL tenure together, the match has worked out as best as possible for the Birds, for Hurts and for Johnson.
Before coming to Philly, Johnson was the quarterbacks coach at the University of Florida, Howie Roseman's alma mater, in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, he became the Gators' offensive coordinator in addition to his QB coach duties. Johnson played quarterback at the University of Utah in college, where he was named MVP of the 2009 Sugar Bowl and was featured on the Playstation 3 "NCAA Football 10" cover:
In honor of the news of NCAA Football returning: A reminder new #Eagles QB coach Brian Johnson was a cover guy back in the day. pic.twitter.com/AgNkeaikC2
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) February 2, 2021
No other offensive coordinator can say that!
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