‘It’s too soon to think about that’: Jalen Hurts puts off talking about Kevin Patullo’s future

The quarterback says he puts his "trust in Howie [Roseman], Nick [Sirianni], and Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie,” and is focused on improving and growing as a player and leader.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts speaks with reporters at the NovaCare Complex on Monday.Read moreJeff McLane / Staff

by Olivia Reiner

Published Jan. 12, 2026, 4:20 p.m. ET

A dramatic end to the Eagles’ campaign for a Super Bowl repeat could bring some dramatic changes to the team in the coming days, weeks, and months.

But less than 24 hours after the 23-19 wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Jalen Hurts said he wasn’t ready to declare whether he hoped to see offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo return for a second season.

“It’s too soon to think about that,” Hurts said Monday afternoon during the Eagles’ locker cleanout. “I put my trust in Howie [Roseman], Nick [Sirianni], and Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie.”

The offense’s shortcomings, fresh off the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning season, reflected poorly on Patullo, the 44-year-old, first-time offensive coordinator. He had a wealth of talent at his disposal on the most expensive offense in the league that returned 10 of 11 starters from the championship run.

Yet the group underperformed and often collapsed in the second halves of games, the latest example coming Sunday night against the 49ers. The offense finished the regular season ranked No. 19 in the league in scoring, No. 24 in total yards, and No. 13 in expected points added per play, which measures the average points added by the offense on each play.

The Eagles fared worse in each category compared to last season. Still, Hurts said that any discussion about impending changes to the Eagles’ offensive coaching staff or personnel would not occur in his parting meeting with team officials on Monday.

“No, I’d speak more so on just having a home base of what we do, who we are, and obviously we really made an effort to establish an identity along the way,” Hurts said. “Ultimately, it was a bit too late. Always got a lot of confidence when we step out on that field with this group, with this team. It just wasn’t our turn this time around.”

Hurts used “home base” as another way to say “identity,” something that the Eagles struggled to establish throughout the season. He said the team needed to find its “comfort zone of where you lay your head,” the go-to concepts that the Eagles could execute at a high level, no matter the caliber of defense they faced.

Where is the Eagles’ home base going forward? Hurts said the team has time to figure it out. Ultimately, though, the quarterback emphasized that he just wants to win.

“You play the game to play for championships and put yourself in those opportunities to win championships,” Hurts said. “And so, obviously, that starts with having cohesiveness and great sequencing and having a flow where everyone’s on the same page and going out there and doing that.”

Hurts is no stranger to change. He has had six offensive play-callers in his NFL career, including Doug Pederson, Sirianni, Shane Steichen, Brian Johnson, Kellen Moore, and now Patullo. In the aftermath of Johnson’s 2024 firing, Hurts said that he longed for continuity at the position.

But he acknowledged Monday that he has embraced the revolving door of offensive coordinators and translated those changes into postseason appearances. After all, the Eagles won a Super Bowl in Moore’s lone year as the offensive coordinator.

“The changes have not prevented us from having an opportunity to go on championship runs, and so with all the changes and with all the things that have gone and have changed over time, we still found ourselves in the playoffs, and we still found ourselves in positions to be in the tournament and play in the tournament,” Hurts said. “I don’t like the trend of wild-card [loss], big-time [Super Bowl appearance], wild-card [loss], big-time [Super Bowl win], and wild-card [loss]. … So competitively as a quarterback, as a leader, that’s a big focus of mine, trying to break that.”

Hurts will look to return the Eagles to their winning ways next season, when he embarks upon his sixth year as the full-time starting quarterback. Given his track record and his importance to the team, he said he has a degree of influence in important matters concerning the offense.

“I think overall, my line is always open, and so however involved or whatever level inquiry I am, I’ll definitely be available,” Hurts said.

Those important matters include the roster. While 10 of the 11 starters on offense are under contract for next season (tight end Dallas Goedert is a pending unrestricted free agent), Roseman may opt to make some changes to its core.

Could A.J. Brown’s future in Philadelphia come into question? The 28-year-old receiver is under contract through 2029. He had expressed his dissatisfaction with the offense earlier in the season, but he has not spoken publicly since the Dec. 8 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Hurts did not directly answer a question about whether he wants Brown back in 2026.

“A. J. and I will talk,” Hurts said. “We’re in a good, great place.”

Many of the team’s prospective changes are out of his hands. Repeatedly, Hurts acknowledged that he must focus on the details within his control, especially his own performance. While he seeks a “home base” for the offense, he said he has never run away from the growth that comes with embracing the responsibilities he finds uncomfortable as a quarterback.

With the extra time that comes with an abrupt playoff exit, Hurts said he will do a “deep dive” on how he can improve as a player and as a leader before the Eagles restart once more next season.

“Obviously, every year is different,” Hurts said. “Changes are inevitable in a number of ways, but my focus is on growth. My focus is on improvement, and my focus is on embracing the challenges that come with where I am in my career.”