The recent Philadelphia Eagles’ coaching hires have been relatively normal and understandable, but there is one that certainly stands out. Philadelphia’s new quarterback coach is Brian Johnson and this appears to be a much more cryptic hire than people may think. Johnson’s addition to Philadelphia’s coaching staff has turned many heads because of one major storyline.
Brian Johnson is close family friends with the potential Philadelphia quarterback of the future, Jalen Hurts. Supposedly, the two have known each other for a long time, dating back to when Hurts was a young child. In the midst of crazy rumors of Wentz either staying with the Eagles or getting traded, this news intensifies the story. While Philadelphia’s Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman have not stated the true reason for hiring him, it is quite evident. Wentz’s time as an Eagle is running out and Johnson’s hiring only solidifies that Hurts is Philadelphia’s new quarterback.
Who is Brian Johnson?
Philadelphia’s new quarterback coach Brian Johnson is a 33-year old who is coming from being the offensive coordinator at the University of Florida. He played quarterback at Utah from 2004-2008 and was the starter after his freshman year. Following his college career, he spent a short time in the NFL, CFL, and the short-lived United Football League, or the UFL. After 2009, he moved on to coaching where worked as a quarterback coach and offensive coordinator for Utah, Mississippi State, Houston, and Florida. Florida’s success in 2020 was mostly because of Kyle Trask, who received direct coaching from Johnson.
Perhaps the way Johnson was able to mold Trask into the player he became helped Philadelphia’s decision to hire him. Johnson has more than enough experience around the quarterback position to qualify for the job. His many successes around the quarterback position are enticing and show that adding him to the coaching staff is justified. The experience that Johnson possesses backs up why he was hired, but it all feels to be just too intentional at a time like this. The issue is that there is no possible way that Johnson and Hurts being great friends is simply a coincidence for the front office.
The Hurts and Johnson Relationship
Jalen Hurts is appearing to be the next quarterback for the Eagles franchise as Wentz trade talks heat up. While the Wentz situation continues, the Brian Johnson news added another level to everything. According to numerous reports, Johnson and Hurts have been close friends since Hurts was a child. Naturally, speculations said that bringing in Johnson was done to progress Hurts and ensure that Wentz will be leaving Philadelphia. The Hurts and Johnson relationship is a very interesting piece of the puzzle that is the Philadelphia quarterback situation. Yet, knowing that the bond is quite strong proves that Johnson’s hiring was done purposefully.
While Hurts has not specifically said anything regarding taking over as the starter, it is obvious that he is excited about Johnson’s hiring. In his press conference about a week ago Hurts displayed his excitement to have Johnson aboard. “Coach Brian is like family…I’ve known him since I was 4 years old,” said Hurts. He went on to add “my dad actually coached him at Baytown [Texas] Lee High School. I grew up watching him play. Got a lot of love for him. Crazy how it works. He was actually recruiting me to go play at Mississippi State, when Dak left,” according to Les Bowen’s recent report.
Beneficial or Problematic?
The fact that these two have such a close connection shows how the front office was fully aware that their decision. Although this could be seen as a negative part of the whole quarterback situation, it is honestly very beneficial. If Philadelphia is trading Wentz within the week, having a quarterback coach who works well with Hurts can only help. One of Wentz’s problems was accepting coaching and if the team doesn’t have to worry about that with Hurts and Johnson, then they’re golden.
To be honest, it is difficult to see how this scenario would become problematic with these two together. Teams are run by working together and having great chemistry and having that between quarterback and coach is immense. With a Wentz trade imminent, these two will be much more confident and focused on the development of Hurts. Although some see the hire of Johnson to be a potential issue, it does not appear that the decision is not as crazy as many previously had thought.
Featured image courtesy of GatorSports.com
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