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The Philadelphia Eagles fired offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo after a disappointing 23-19 loss in the Wild Card round to the San Francisco 49ers.
However, former Eagles star center Jason Kelce said that while Patullo is in charge of the offensive tackles, he thought the players could have performed better.
“Bottom line is, this offense didn’t live up to what it should have, right? And Patullo, as the offensive coordinator, bears the responsibility, and so do the players. That’s my thing. I don’t think the players played as well as they could have,” Kelce said during a recent episode of the “New Heights” podcast.
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Jason Kelce watches before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium. The game took place in Arlington, Texas on November 3, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
“I love all those guys, and that’s just the way it is sometimes. I had my seasons. I made damn sure of that. And you know, how do they come back from this? Where do they go from here? There’s new faces coming in. There’s going to be faces that are familiar that are out.”
The 38-year-old said he doesn’t think it’s fair to put all the blame on Patullo. Kelce cited the offensive line’s inability to stay healthy and a regressing running game as reasons for the slump.
“The main reason (for the regression), and I’ve said this from the beginning, was the run game. The offensive line’s inability to stay healthy enough to open holes. Saquon Barkley almost set the NFL rushing record last year. They were unbelievable in the run game,” Kelce said.
The seven-time Pro Bowler pointed out that while the Eagles won the Super Bowl last season, the passing game struggled. With the running game not nearly as dynamic as it was last season, the issues in the passing game became more prominent.
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Jason Kelce waves to fans during the Super Bowl LIX championship parade and rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 14, 2025. (Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)
“The passing game, they struggled last year. I mean, there were all kinds of things that happened last season that we like to forget because we won the Super Bowl, but the passing game has been a problem for several seasons now. Now the running game isn’t there. Why isn’t it? The offensive line is in and out. They’re hurt. Guys haven’t been playing the way they’ve been playing.” Kelce said.
“You have a quarterback that doesn’t run that much. Jalen Hurts, the threat of him running the ball, opens up so much for the running back when they really have to respect that, and it also opens things up down the field.”
Kelce lamented the lack of creativity in the Eagles offense and said it would “behoove” them to bring in someone from outside the building as their new offensive coordinator.
“I would love to see more movement. I would love to see all those things,” Kelce said. “It would probably take on the Eagles to bring somebody in with a fresh perspective on where it is at the moment, because when you’re in it, you think about what you’ve done well in the past. You think about how you’ve been successful.”
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Former player Jason Kelce reacts prior to the game between the Washington Commanders and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The game took place in Kansas City, Missouri on October 27, 2025. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“It’s like, man, I know this guy can do this. I know this can happen here. Yeah. When you bring somebody else in, it’s like, man, this is where we are now. And now we can bring in some fresh ideas. We can figure out a way to maximize things while keeping that core together.”
Last season, during the team’s Super Bowl-winning season, they ranked fourth in the NFL with an average of 29 points per game. match. This season, they scored one fewer touchdown, averaging 22.1 points per game. game, which was 19th in the NFL.
The Eagles hope their next offensive coordinator can turn things around quickly.
