New England Patriots - NESN.com
No quarterback and head coach may ever match the success that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick achieved together on the New England Patriots. However, an ESPN analyst believes a current pairing conducts business similarly.
The Philadelphia Eagles kick off the NFL’s 2025 season by hosting the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night. Nick Sirianni said his team won’t be on the field to watch the unveiling of their Super Bowl banner at Lincoln Financial Field, claiming he didn’t even realize the celebration was happening on Thursday.
Those comments led Dan Orlovsky to liken the Eagles head coach and his quarterback, Jalen Hurts, to the Patriots legends on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
“Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts are the modern day Bill Belichick and Tom Brady,” Orlovsky said.
Orlovsky’s declaration instantly drew laughter from fellow panelist Adam Schefter, and “Get Up” host Mike Greenberg sat frozen in place as the former quarterback clarified his stance.
“Just total alignment,” Orlovsky continued. “I remember Belichick and Brady constantly saying stuff and being like, ‘There’s no way you actually think that or feel that way or operate like that.’ And it feels the same way.”
Orlovsky thinks Hurts and Sirianni are as locked into pursuing sustained success as Brady and Belichick. They’re still five Super Bowls shy of matching the icons, but they’ll start the quest toward their second Lombardi Trophy on Thursday night.
“Jalen’s just robotic and maniacal and very focused. Not out in the public, like Tom was when he was playing,” Orlovsky said. “And Sirianni, there’s no way that he doesn’t know (about the banner ceremony), but he says it and you’re like, ‘Maybe he didn’t really know.’ The same way when Coach Belichick would say stuff and you’d be like, ‘There’s no way that you think that way.’
“It just feels like their alignment and the way that they’re so hyper-focused and blocking out the noise, it’s very Belichick-Brady like.”
The NFC East clash between the Eagles and Cowboys starts at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
