The Philadelphia Eagles’ 24–15 loss to the Chicago Bears intensified questions about Jalen Hurts’ future role in the offense. Head coach Nick Sirianni made it clear that Hurts’ long-term health and usage will dictate Philadelphia’s upcoming decisions.

Sirianni’s most detailed comments had to do with designed quarterback runs and the tradeoffs involved in deploying Hurts as a runner.

“We’re always thinking about how to protect Jalen and make sure that he is healthy for the long haul,” he said in the post-match press conference. “Different plans have different reasons of why you run different things, and like I said, we will do everything we need to do to help this offense get rolling. Jalen’s talented in running the football.”

Jalen hasn’t run the ball in 2025 when compared to 2024. His rushing attempts and yards per attempt have gone down as well, with the team’s overall rushing struggles, dropping from 10 and 42 in 2024 to just 7.0 and 27.4 in 2025.

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Sirianni warned that every snap carries risk, “It’s still football and you still [face] a risk at with every snap that you take,” but stressed the staff can and will pick designs that limit exposure. The Eagles will not eliminate Hurts from the running game, but they will be selective about which quarterback runs they call and when.

“You look at what you do well, how to protect the guys, and you’re just looking for the best way to go about that,” he added. But the question about Hurts running more arises because Saquon Barkley isn’t as effective a runner as he was last season. In 2024, Barkley ran for 2,005 yards.

A bootleg or rollout lets Hurts operate on the perimeter where blockers can engage defenders before he crosses the line of scrimmage; it enables Hurts to move without committing to a head-first hit.

Sirianni explicitly said, ”I don’t think anybody wants to come out of a game with Jalen having 15 carries,” signaling the team won’t trade long-term availability for a short-term boost in yardage. Statistically, Hurts has 84 carries for 329 yards through 12 games, a pace well below his recent seasons, and those numbers help frame why the coaching staff is talking protection as much as production.

Nick Sirianni on Kevin Patullo

As the Eagles emerge from a mini–bye week and back-to-back losses, head coach Nick Sirianni made clear that changes are being discussed behind the scenes, just not at the offensive play-caller. Asked directly whether Kevin Patullo would remain in charge of the offense after the team’s latest self-scout, Sirianni answered with one word: “Yeah.”

The Philadelphia offense has averaged just 15.5 points over the last four games and has fallen to 18th in scoring and 24th in total yardage. This has increased scrutiny on Patullo, who was promoted to offensive coordinator after serving four years as the passing game coordinator.

Despite the turmoil, Sirianni said that the staff is “evaluating everything,” but he refused to specify what changes are being considered. He also added that Patullo is not the sole person responsible for this; it’s the overall teamwork.

While Sirianni continues to publicly back Patullo, his words suggest the organization is bracing for broader adjustments if results don’t improve. With the league’s highest offensive payroll and a season slipping toward urgency, the need to revive the unit mounts.

However, if a change eventually comes, the Eagles have plenty of in-house options, including Sirianni himself, quarterbacks coach Scott Loeffler, and passing game coordinator Parks Frazier. But as of now, Patullo is not going anywhere.