If you undertsand anything about Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni at this point it should be that, if given the opportunity, Sirianni is going to find a way to make things weird.
The latest example seems to have come in Week 16, following a 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders which snapped the Eagles’ 10-game winning streak.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane reported that Sirianni apologized to Washington tight end and former Eagles star Zach Ertz via a Zoom call about a postgame confrontation that seemed to start when Ertz took exception to something Sirianni said to him right before Sirianni shook hands with Washington head coach Dan Quinn.
In a video shared by JP Finlay of NBC Sports, Ertz appears to walk over to Sirianni and angrily asks “What?” as the 2 begin to walk and jaw at each other.
Ertz and Sirianni were eventually separated by Eagles chief security officer Dom DiSandro.
“… their brief dust-up saw Ertz take exception to a comment Sirianni made about his performance in the game,” McLane wrote.
Ertz, 34 years old, had 1 catch for 12 yards against the Eagles and is second on the Commanders with 55 receptions for 538 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Sirianni’s Long History of Awkard Moments
Sirianni’s 4 seasons in Philadelphia have been defined by 2 things — lots of winning and lots of awkward moments.
Earlier this season, Sirianni was pilloried in the media after a confrontation with Eagles fans following a Week 6 home win over the Cleveland Browns.
“A few of his players told Nick Sirianni to just be himself,” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Reuben Frank wrote after the win over the Browns. “Unfortunately, he was listening. Sirianni was caught on the Eagles-Browns FOX TV broadcast having an animated shouting match with fans at the Linc in the final seconds of the Eagles’ win Sunday … Video shows Sirianni holding his hand up to his ear in a sarcastic way of indicating, ‘I can’t hear you.’ ”
Sirianni has also been a relentless winner in his 4 seasons in Philadelphia. The Eagles are 46-20 under Sirianni and in the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. In his second season, in 2022, Sirianni led the Eagles to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ertz Helped Philadelphia Win Only Super Bowl
Ertz is one of the greatest tight ends in Eagles history and had his best seasons in Philadelphia, where he played 9 seasons after he was selected in the second round (No. 35 overall) of the 2013 NFL draft out Stanford.
From 2013 to 2021, Ertz was a 3-time Pro Bowler and helped lead the Eagles to the lone Super Bowl win in franchise history following the 2017 season. In 2018, Ertz set the NFL single-season record for tight ends with 116 receptions. Ertz also owns the Eagles’ single-game record with 15 receptions.
Ertz was traded to the Arizona Cardinals halfway through the 2021 season — Sirianni’s first year in Philadelphia — and played 2 seasons there before he was released.
After spending time on the Detroit Lions practice squad in 2023, Ertz has rejuvenated his career with the Commanders in 2024 after signing a 1-year, $3 million contract.
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