According to a Tim McManus story, Bobby King, the former inside linebackers coach for the Tennessee Titans, is joining the Philadelphia Eagles for “a similar role in Philly.”
Prior to hiring someone else, the Eagles had interviews with former defensive coordinators Mike Caldwell of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Joe Barry of the Green Bay Packers for the position of LB coach. Caldwell joined the Las Vegas Raiders with the same title as Barry, while Barry joined the Miami Dolphins as their new run game coordinator and linebackers coach.
King is therefore somewhat of an unexpected addition, despite the fact that he is connected to the Eagles’ current coaching staff. An overview of his coaching career is provided here:
2010: Defensive quality control coach and assistant linebackers coach for the Dallas Cowboys
2011: Defensive assistant for the Houston Texans
Houston Texans assistant linebackers coach, 2012–2013
San Diego Chargers assistant linebackers coach from 2014 to 2016
Houston Texans inside linebackers coach from 2018 to 2020; linebackers coach from 2017 to 2020
2021: Coach of the Houston Texans’ defensive line; 2022–2023: Coach of the Tennessee Titans’ inside linebackers
For three seasons, King and Nick Sirianni were in San Diego together.
Notably, King also coached Zach Cunningham from 2017 to 2022 (with the exception of 2021). Cunningham received accolades from Howie Roseman during the Eagles’ end-of-season press conference. Cunningham will become a free agent in March, but this signing might indicate that he plans to come back in 2024.
Needless to say, the linebackers for the Eagles had a very difficult season. D.J. Eliot, the former LB coach for the Eagles, wasn’t the only one at fault, but it was obvious that the group didn’t see him as a part of the answer. We’ll watch to see if King can make more use of the skill that has been provided to him.
