When it was reported earlier this month that the Eagles were interested in Matt Patricia as a defensive assistant, NFL fans couldn’t help but think about Philadelphia cornerback Darius Slay.
Well, given the Eagles reportedly are releasing the five-time Pro Bowl cornerback as a June 1 cut, any tension in the City of Brotherly Love might now be avoided. After all, Slay was outspoken about his distaste for Patricia after the two spent parts of two seasons together when the latter served as head coach of the Detroit Lions.
Might the development Wednesday now open the door for Patricia to serve on Philadelphia’s staff? Perhaps.
The Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian reported March 5 that Patricia, the longtime New England Patriots assistant, had a “shot to land” in Philadelphia. Guregian shared how Patricia would work on the defensive side of the ball, and specifically mentioned as the team’s linebackers coach.
Philadelphia hired D.J. Eliot, the former defensive coordinator of the Temple Owls, to serve as the team’s linebackers coach last week meaning Patricia will not land that specific title.
But the organization’s interest in Patricia nevertheless might help him land another position on staff, maybe something like “senior defensive assistant,” a title NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport believed Patricia could land with the Denver Broncos.
Patricia’s role with the Patriots has been in question ever since the New England hired Bill O’Brien as its next offensive coordinator and Adrian Klemm as the offensive line coach. Those were the two positions Patricia held during the lackluster 2022 campaign.
There surely would be a little less animosity if he joined the defending NFC champions now after Slay’s departure.
