Why Josh Grizzard still decided to join Eagles after not getting OC job

Josh Grizzard interviewed for the Eagles' OC job but still came to Philly anyway when they hired Sean Mannion.

By Dave Zangaro • Published June 8, 2026

The Eagles this offseason interviewed Josh Grizzard for their offensive coordinator position before deciding to go in a different direction.

They still hired Grizzard anyway.

After the Eagles went with Sean Mannion as their offensive coordinator, they offered Grizzard the position of passing game coordinator and he accepted. 

For the last few months, he’s been working with the guy who got the job he wanted. That might sound like a weird situation, but Grizzard says it hasn’t been awkward at all.

"Once you accept the job, you kind of know what it is,” Grizzard said last week during OTAs. "But not (awkward) at all. I had always heard great things about Sean. I had never met Sean. But just working in the NFL for 10 years now, there’s enough people that I knew that knew him and listening and feeling the culture here, that if I would have thought that would have been a problem, I wouldn’t have even accepted the job.

"It’s been fantastic getting to know him and work with him. He’s a tireless worker. He’s ready for the opportunity so it’s been a lot of fun.”

The Eagles cast a wide net this offseason to fill the empty offensive coordinator job. They interviewed 17 different candidates and seven got  second interviews. Three of those seven — Mannion, Grizzard and Jerrod Johnson — ended up on the coaching staff for the 2026 season. Mannion is OC, Grizzard is passing game coordinator and Johnson is a senior offensive analyst.

"It was a lot of fun in the interview process, really getting to know everybody in the organization,” Grizzard said. "I had worked with a couple people on staff here in the past. They just raved about the culture here. Finally getting a chance through the first time on Zoom, getting a chance to meet with Mr. (Jeffrey) Lurie and Howie (Roseman) and Nick (Sirianni). I really hadn’t met any of those guys in the past.

"But going through that process as the coordinator interview and then coming in for the second interview, you really get a feel for the whole building and meeting people. There’s a feel to this place and the winning, the history, that really was exciting for me. Not getting the coordinator job and then being offered the opportunity to join as a pass game coordinator, I felt like was a great opportunity.”

Grizzard, 35, most recently served as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator in 2025 but was fired in January after just one season in that position. He was previously the passing game coordinator for the Bucs in 2024 and performed well enough in that role to get a promotion. Before that, he worked for the Dolphins for seven seasons, including the last few under then-head coach Mike McDaniel.

While Grizzard was OC for just one season, he said it was the most fun he has ever had coaching because calling plays is as close as you can come to the feeling of playing again. He hadn’t felt that since his days at Yale 15 years ago. 

There were some ups and downs for Grizzard in his one season as an OC — the Bucs finished the year 21st in offense and missed the playoffs. But the year before, when Grizzard was the passing game coordinator in Tampa, the Bucs were 3rd in offense and won the NFC South.

Grizzard could prove to be a valuable resource for Mannion as he becomes a first-time OC in 2026.

"I think for as much as he’ll lean on me for what he needs, I’m here for him,” Grizzard said. "He already has a very clear vision for how he wants to do things. By playing as long as he did, the knowledge he has of this system and how he wants to attack defenses and his ability to communicate, he already does a tremendous job of it. Anything he needs from my end of it, I’m an open door for him.”

Aside his ability to help Mannion take over in his first stint as an offensive coordinator, Grizzard also explained his main roles.

During the season, it’ll be up to Grizzard to work ahead a couple days as the Eagles come up with their plan to attack opposing defenses in segments of situational football. They’ll start with first and second downs and then third downs and red zone, etc. Grizzard said he can "lay the framework” for Mannion and Sirianni as they go through the week of game-planning.

On top of that, since Grizzard isn’t coaching one specific position, he has the ability to bounce around from position to position to coach and answer any questions for players, especially when Mannion isn’t elsewhere.

Grizzard is still just 35 and even though his first stint as an NFL OC didn’t really work out, he could have a bright future in the NFL. There’s no salary cap for coaching staffs, so the Eagles tried to assemble a really good one on the offensive side of the ball.

The Eagles clearly like the concepts that Grizzard will bring to Philly.

"I think a lot of it, to a large extent, is a shared vision with things that I might have done in the past or they see things on tape that we might have ran that could be a good mix with and a blend with what’s been done here,” Grizzard said. "Adding some of the elements, whether it’s myself or Sean or any of the other coaches, that this system could bring and then implement it here.”

https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/josh-grizzard-passing-game-coordinator-sean-mannion-buccaneers-dolphins-nick-sirianni/735981/

He’s the next OC right? When they fire Sirianni and promote Mannion to HC… 😉

14 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

He’s the next OC right? When they fire Sirianni and promote Mannion to HC… 😉

More like the next OC when Mannion gets poached for a HC job. I just hope that doesn't happen for a few years. It would be nice to finally have some consistency at the top of the offensive coaching staff.

On 6/9/2026 at 11:28 AM, time2rock said:

More like the next OC when Mannion gets poached for a HC job. I just hope that doesn't happen for a few years. It would be nice to finally have some consistency at the top of the offensive coaching staff.

It certainly would be nice bud! Unfortunately I think it’s very unlikely though. If Mannion does a good job he’ll get poached. If he doesn’t then he’ll be fired.

On 6/9/2026 at 6:28 AM, time2rock said:

More like the next OC when Mannion gets poached for a HC job. I just hope that doesn't happen for a few years. It would be nice to finally have some consistency at the top of the offensive coaching staff.

I couldn't agree more with you on this. Giving Hurts the same OC for say 3 years might actually allow him to fully develop along a more traditional curve.

9 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

It certainly would be nice bud! Unfortunately I think it’s very unlikely though. If Mannion does a good job he’ll get poached. If he doesn’t then he’ll be fired.

I agree if Mannion does a good job there is a chance he may get poached but I don't think the likelihood is as high as Moore simply because Moore had plenty of previous experience as an OC while Mannion is basically new to coaching altogether. And if the offense struggles somewhat this year I don't think he'd get fired right away ... I think it is more likely they chalk it up to growing pains in a new system and give him more time. Now if it is a complete disaster like it was under Patullo then perhaps but still think the odds favor him back in 2027 regardless.

16 hours ago, time2rock said:

I agree if Mannion does a good job there is a chance he may get poached but I don't think the likelihood is as high as Moore simply because Moore had plenty of previous experience as an OC while Mannion is basically new to coaching altogether. And if the offense struggles somewhat this year I don't think he'd get fired right away ... I think it is more likely they chalk it up to growing pains in a new system and give him more time. Now if it is a complete disaster like it was under Patullo then perhaps but still think the odds favor him back in 2027 regardless.

If I were a betting man… I’d probably put money on him being back next year unless we get an extreme one way or another. So yeah I agree I think he’s likely here for a couple of years and I guess we shall see what happens from there.