Outsiders believe they know who Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is. After all, the 45-year-old sixth-year leader has coached 85 games in the NFL and has a Super Bowl win under his belt.
Yet, those who know Sirianni, like Saquon Barkley, suggest there’s more to the coach than meets the eye.
Saquon Barkley Opens Up About The Real Nick Sirianni
Coach Sirianni recently opened up about trying new ways, like ChatGPT, to help him find unique ways to reach his roster. Heading into Year 6, Sirianni didn’t want his message getting stale with any of his veterans.
It’s just a small example of how Sirianni keeps people guessing and, despite all his success, he’s never afraid to keep adapting. Even though Sirianni continues to mix it up, there are still people who have formed negative preconceived notions about the Eagles’ coach.
Yet, Barkley, his star running back, told Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press via the “AP’s On Football” podcast that the narrative about Sirianni is “so far from the truth.”
He also posed the question as to why Sirianni, who has the NFL’s fifth-highest win percentage of all-time, doesn’t get more respect. Barkley believes his situation is akin to that of Jalen Hurts.
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“The same reason why Jalen doesn’t get the respect he deserves,” Barkley said. “The same reason why, when I rushed for 2,000 yards, it may be looked at not as good as other 2,000 yards. It’s just how it works when you’re in Philly. Nick and Howie and all them, they do a really good job of creating a great culture and a winning culture and having great teams.”
Saquon Barkley has Nick Sirianni’s back. “The narrative that’s out there about Nick is so far from the truth.”
Listen/Watch the full interview with Barkley on the “AP’s On Football with Rob Maaddi” : https://t.co/CkOByAuLRQ pic.twitter.com/p4eqz2Pmap— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) August 6, 2026
In essence, Barkley thinks it’s a “Philly” thing, partly created by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman being so efficient at his job, building a strong roster capable of competing for championships.
Yet, Sirianni plays a heavy hand too, mastering the ability to get the most out of the athletes on hand. In addition to having a high regular season win rate, Sirianni ranks 28th in playoff win rate at 60%, just behind three-time Super Bowl winner Andy Reid.
Through five seasons, Sirianni has never finished the year with a losing record, and the Eagles have yet to miss the playoffs under his guidance. That’s just about as good as you can ask for out of an NFL head coach, and he’s among the best in the business.
