Eagles coach explains heated moment with standout player, assistant coach

PHILADELPHIA — Nick Sirianni believes in player-coach confidentiality, so the Philadelphia Eagles head coach will never reveal what he said to Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter as defensive line coach stood Clint Hurtt stood between them on the sideline during the team’s 27-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Carter, the No. 9 overall pick in 2023, was flagged for unsportsmanlike early in the fourth quarter for smacking the helmet of Steelers tight end Connor Heyward as Pittsburgh punted. Luckily for the Eagles, the refs determined Carter’s illegal play came after the ball was punted, so the Eagles did not lose a chance to regain possession.

‘He made a play that is not part of our standard, so my job is to correct that,’ Sirianni said after the game. ‘Regardless of what it is, we’re going to correct the things that we need to do better and praise the things we need to do well.’

As Sirianni – who is wont to show emotion on the sideline – dressed down Carter, Hurtt stepped between the two and didn’t let the head coach get closer to the former Georgia Bulldog. Eagles’ chief of security Dom DiSandro was also on the scene.

‘In that moment, that’s what that was. I love Jalen Carter. I love what he brings to this football team. ,’ Sirianni said. ‘Right there, he needed to be smarter in that situation because it could have given them the ball back. It didn’t give them the ball back, but it could have. So, we’re going to need to get better at that.

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‘That’s what you do as a coach.’

The Eagles actually never let the Steelers regain possession of the ball and ended the game on a final drive that lasted 10:29.

Carter knocked down a pass and recorded two tackles as the Eagles rolled to a 10th straight victory.

‘Again, he played a good game, and I’ll watch the game to see how good of a game he played, but we need him to be better in that scenario and be the consistent player he’s been for the entire year,’ Sirianni said.