The Philadelphia Eagles are 4-0 on the season, but there have been a lot of problems on the offensive side that have grabbed the attention of fans and pundits alike. Star receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are both unhappy with their target shares thus far into the season, and they are letting anyone with a microphone know it.
On Friday, Smith became the latest player to reveal that he isn't happy with the direction of the offense, stating bluntly, "Offensively, we need to be better."
With that being the case, there have been reports concerning league executives around the NFL who are monitoring this situation in Philadelphia to see if Howie Roseman bites the bullet and chooses to move on from either Brown or Smith.
Comments like Smith's only add more smoke to the fire around the Eagles' passing attack, and it appears that offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo could be the one standing in the way of another Eagles championship.
Kevin Patullo Seems to Be a Hurdle for Another Eagles Super Bowl
The Eagles are 30th in the NFL in total offense (251.5 yards per game) and 31st in passing offense (138 YPG). This team is a run-first offense, ranking 15th in rushing offense (113.5 YPG) but third in carries (131). While it's never a bad thing to have an effective rushing attack at your disposal, there needs to be a balance. Philadelphia has struggled to find that during the first month of the season.
Keeping your playmakers happy and involved should not be this difficult a thing for Patullo to figure out. Through the first month of the 2025 campaign, Brown has 14 catches (28 targets) for 151 receiving yards and one touchdown. Of those 151 yards, 109 of them came in the win over the Rams in Week 3. Meaning, Brown has already recorded three games this season with fewer than 30 yards receiving.
Meanwhile, Smith has 17 catches for 158 receiving yards and one touchdown. While it isn't as low a number as Brown has been forced to work through, the University of Alabama product hasn't eclipsed 60 receiving yards in any game this season. Both Smith and Brown want to get the ball and be productive pieces of this offensive attack. Every team should expect its playmakers to want the ball more often when they have a history of success, like Philadelphia's top two wideouts.
This isn't a storyline that is happening for the first time, either. During the Wild Card round win over the Los Angeles Rams last postseason, Brown was seen reading a book on the sideline. Philadelphia's coaching staff knows the importance of having Brown and Smith fully engaged. Patullo clearly doesn't have his top receiving options feeling that way entering Week 5, and it is on him to figure out how to fix it.
Patullo has a lot of work to do, and he should be fully aware of this fact. Both receivers are making it known they aren't happy. If he doesn't find a way to get them rolling, it'll be a problem that lingers on for the entire season.
Having that kind of drama surrounding a team looking to chase another Super Bowl is less than ideal. This needs to be fixed now, or it will only create even more friction and potentially hurt the Eagles' chances of raising another Lombardi Trophy.