Eagles

The 2024 Eagles Didn’t Have an Offensive Identity After Four Games, Therefore Nick Sirianni’s Recent Identity Comments are Overrated

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Oct 6th, 2026 · 2:33 PM EDT

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There was a slight bit of reactive Negadelphia when Nick Sirianni said this after Sunday’s putrid Eagles loss:

Q. I know you have guys down and it’s still early. It’s only four games in, but what is the identity of the offense?

Nick Sirianni: Obviously, it hasn’t been good enough. I think that’s still — you’re trying to make sure as you find out who you are that you’re playing with detail and you’re playing together and you’re playing with toughness, and we’ve still got a ways to go there and it’s obvious that we’re still trying to figure that out.

In a Monday follow-up, he elaborated:

Q. I’m curious, you mentioned the word identity, maybe not knowing it yet. Why do you think that may be why you’re struggling to find that identity and is it concerning at all that you don’t necessarily know what it is at this stage? (Cayden Steele)

Nick Sirianni: I think a lot of teams are still looking for what that is this early in the season, after a quarter through the season. We’ve had different seasons where we felt really good about where we were at that particular time, and we’ve had seasons where we haven’t, and we’re able to figure it out along the way. It’s constantly a process, and just because you say your identity is one thing at this particular time, that may stay the same all the way through, but that could change too.

There’s a lot of things that go into that, and you’re always trying to do exactly the things that your players do best while also running the schemes that you want to do. That’s fluid throughout the year. I would just say it hasn’t been consistent enough, so you do search. When you haven’t been consistent enough in both coaching and playing, then you are searching for the things that you’re supposed to do well.

I think that identity is kind of a buzzword that we like to use. But again, it’s not consistent enough right now in any aspect, and that’s fluid. Then when you do figure out things and start to get on some rolls, that becomes fluid as well.

Naturally, some will recoil when the head ball coach says “we’re still trying to figure that out” in terms of what the team’s offensive identity is. That’s something you probably should know coming into the season, or, at least have an idea of what you want it to be.

But Nick is right. A lot of teams are figuring it out as they go along. What if you come into the season with a gunslinger identity and then you lose WR1 and TE1 to injury? You’re not slinging it anymore. Maybe you pivot to a running attack instead. Things are, indeed, fluid.

Look no further than the 2024 Eagles, who started 2-2. Saquon Barkley only had 10 carries in the Tampa Bay loss. Do you remember that? They came out throwing the ball, fell behind early, and ended up running 50 plays at a 30/20 pass/run split. They gutted out a 20-16 win against Cleveland in Week 5, with Hurts running the ball 14 times and throwing it 25 times, then it was right around the first New York game when they realized they had an incredible offensive line and could simply feed Saquon. That kicked off a string of 12 games in which Barkley ran for 100+ on nine different occasions while they Brotherly Shoved the competition out of the way.

And when they needed Jalen to throw, he threw it well. 278 yards in Sao Paulo. 290 and two touchdowns against a Steelers team that was 10-4 at the time. NFC Championship Game. Super Bowl. All high-level stuff from QB1.

So of course you come in with a new offensive coordinator, new O line coach, new players this season and it’ll look different. Gotta figure it out. Not sure this Sunday is gonna be when it clicks, considering the laundry list of injuries, but these comments aren’t much to be worried about.