Three years ago, Sean Mannion was still an active NFL quarterback. Although he was never the No. 1 signal-caller on a team and started only three times throughout his career, Mannion learned a lot from being on the sidelines, which earned him a spot on the Green Bay Packers' coaching staff in 2024.
That's why few people were shocked to watch Mannion's rapid rise in the coaching ranks. After just a couple of years as an assistant, he went from being the Packers' QBs coach to becoming the new Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator.
Mannion will get his first play-calling experience with the Eagles' juggernaut of an offense. And, with all the praise and positive comments about him at Super Bowl Media Day, the Packers might regret letting him go more than they already do.
Sean Mannion Praise Could Have Packers Lamenting Split
Even though the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks should have all the attention during Super Bowl week, it's been Mannion's name that's made some noise. When asked about the Eagles' OC hiring, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak had nothing but praise:
"I think (the Eagles) got a gem of a coach," Kubiak said, per PHLY Eagles. "I'm really excited for Sean, not at all surprised that he's in this position."
Notably, that's a similar sentiment to what Patriots OC Josh McDaniels said. When asked about the Eagles' new offensive play-caller, the veteran assistant coach twisted the knife for Packers fans:
"He's been around football a long time," McDaniels said. "I'm sure he's gonna do his job really well."
This speaks volumes about the level of respect Mannion has earned in so little time. It may also cast doubts about whether the Packers should've just promoted him to offensive coordinator and let Adam Stenavich handle the quarterbacks, or just fire him altogether.
At the end of the day, head coach Matt LaFleur will continue to call plays for the Packers. That may not be in the team's best interests, but he wants to keep absolute control of the offense. Even so, promoting Mannion to offensive coordinator, even without play-calling duties, would've probably been enough to keep him at Lambeau Field for a little longer.
The Packers have struggled mightily against the Eagles recently, with the NFC East team taking the past four games and five of their last six. Now, LaFleur has given them yet another weapon to use against him, and that's a decision that could come back to haunt this team sooner rather than later.