It sounds like Sean Desai could land on his feet relatively quickly. After getting fired by the Eagles earlier this week, the former defensive coordinator is interviewing for the same role with the Bills and Falcons, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
[RELATED: Eagles Fire DC Sean Desai]
After Jonathan Gannon left Philly to coach the Cardinals, the Eagles brought on Desai as their new defensive coordinator last offseason. Things started off well for the new hire, as the Eagles began their 2023 campaign with a 10-1 record. However, following two-straight losses, Desai lost his play-calling duties to Matt Patricia.
Desai’s replacement didn’t inspire much confidence; the Eagles went 1-4 with Patricia at the helm. Still, with the defensive coordinator eyeing reduced responsibilities for the foreseeable future, it didn’t seem like he was going to last all that long in Philadelphia. So, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when the Eagles let him go earlier this week.
Fortunately for Desai, the rough 2023 campaign didn’t do much to impact his coaching outlook. Teams can still point to his one-year stint as Bears defensive coordinator in 2021, when Chicago finished the season ranked sixth in terms of total defense. He also earned a solid reputation during his time as an assistant, including most recently when he was associate head coach and defensive assistant with the Seahawks in 2022.
Atlanta has a growing list of DC candidates as Raheem Morris looks to fill out his new staff. We previously heard that Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde was a candidate for the position, and Morris continues to look within the NFC East for options.
The Bills connection is a bit more surprising. Sean McDermott decided not to replace Leslie Frazier on the 2023 coaching staff, with the head coach effectively taking over the defensive coordinator role. It seemed like McDermott was destined to continue calling defensive plays in 2024, especially following news that trusted Bills assistant Eric Washington was heading to the Bears as their new defensive coordinator.
This led some to assume that if McDermott was serious about adding a defensive coordinator, he wouldn’t have let Washington out the door in the first place. Still, based on this latest development, it sounds like the Bills head coach would at least be open to relinquishing some of his responsibilities.