Andy Reid calls Eagles DC Sean Desai ‘brilliant’

Big Red took some time to speak with members of the Philly media on Thursday, ahead of the Eagles vs. Chiefs Week 11 matchup. Andy Reid had a lot of compliments for members of the Eagles coaching staff, including OC Brian Johnson and DC Sean Desai.

Reid admitted that looking at this Eagles team compared to the one he faced in the Super Bowl doesn’t look a whole lot different, save for some coaching changes and player injuries.

“They’re still a very good football team.”

He talked a but about new Brian Johnson, saying that the new OC mixes up the run and the pass well, and is creative. Reid joked that it’s hard for him to say so many good things about a guy who played at Utah.

The former Eagles head coach also talked about first-year DC Sean Desai.

“Sean’s brilliant first of all. He’s really a good football coach. They lost a good football coach and they gained one here. The defense is in good hands. They’re very disciplined, they’re aggressive.”

Reid later talked about the Eagles new addition Kevin Byard, someone Travis Kelce and the Chiefs are very familiar with from his time in Tennessee. He noted that Byard can cover, tackle, and he’s smart, creating good competition between the safety and Kelce.

Other notables

• The Chiefs head coach had a lot of nice things to say about QB Jalen Hurts.

“I’m a big fan of [Hurts]. He’s really a good football player. He can run the ball, he can throw the ball, he’s a smart kid. Seems to be a great teammate, always seems to be under control.”

• Big Red spoke about the Chiefs turning the ball over an unusual amount, but he pointed to the real issue being penalties. He explained that they have to get better at avoiding penalties because they create long-yard situation and can lead to turnovers, so they have to eliminate those and hone in on the fundamentals.
• He joked about Fletcher Cox and how he manages to still be playing at such a high level, noting the same was true about Brandon Graham. Reid coached those guys early in their careers, but he sees a lot of the traits they had back then, still showing up on the field.

“I love those guys. They’re good guys. Those are good guys, good human beings.”

• Reid also briefly spoke about Kelce and Taylor Swift, saying that he’s happy that they both seem happy, and it’s worried about it being a distraction.

“I don’t think either one of them create a distraction at all.”