Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles is trying to keep his players from getting overconfident after their historic 2024 season.
But FOX Sports analyst Mark Schlereth wants to know who is keeping Sirianni in check.
Schlereth, the former Super Bowl winner and longtime NFL commentator, bashed Sirianni for holding the Eagles accountable while failing to do so himself on his “The Stinkin’ Truth” podcast recently.
Sirianni has made the playoffs in each of his first four seasons and has twice been to the Super Bowl. He and the Eagles won the second championship in franchise history, a 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans in February.
The Eagles are seeking the first repeat championship since the Chiefs of 2022-23.
What Did Mark Schlereth Say About Nick Sirianni?
Schlereth opened his most recent show by taking issue with Sirianni’s recent comments, where the coach wanted to rein his team after an off-season of celebrating.
“The celebration is over,” Sirianni said “You gotta handle success. It’s a different animal. Treat praise like perfume. Sniff it, don’t drink it; it’s poison.”
That prompted Schlereth to offer his own smell-themed analogy while taking issue with Sirianni.
“You can smell the perfume, but for all of you out there thinking ‘hmm, this perfume smells nice, I bet it tastes great, let’s try this,'” Schlereth said. “They ought to make a public-service announcement for him ‘don’t eat Tide Pods.'”
For all the fun Schlereth had at Sirianni’s expense, he ultimately came down on Sirianni’s side.
“I do understand like ‘don’t smell your fumes,'” Schlereth said. “Don’t live in that world. We gotta rip it up and start over again.”
What Does Mark Schlereth Know About Winning Back-To-Back Super Bowls?
Schlereth is uniquely qualified to speak about winning consecutive titles. The two-time champion with the Denver Broncos, who has since become one of the most respected NFL analysts over more than two decades, did so with John Elway and Co. in 1997-98.
“As a member of a team that won back-to-back world championships, I tell you, it’s hard,” Schlereth said. “It’s hard because of a lot of things.
“Some people get sated by success. … Some guys start becoming really famous, and they don’t necessarily put the same work in.”
Schlereth has seen some great, dynasty-style teams fall short of winning multiple Super Bowls in a row. Only eight teams have won consecutive titles in the history of the Super Bowl, and only the Chiefs have done it over the past 20 years.
“You are the target on everybody’s schedule,” Schlereth said. “You get everybody’s best shot.”
He offered some advice to current Eagles players to not take their eye off the ball in 2025.
“Those things are great, but you can’t let those things become what you’re chasing,” Schlereth said. “Build your career, and your brand follows, and you can’t let your brand take over the work. It’s still gotta be about the work. The work’s gotta come first.
“You have to understand what you’re there to do: you’re there to play football. So that becomes a really important aspect what you have to do to repeat as champions.”
