Nick Sirianni's Philadelphia Eagles were about to enter the 2024 NFL playoffs, and the national media was not exactly convinced that he was going to guide them to a Super Bowl win, as he most assertively did, and in a most historic manner with a blowout over the Kansas City Chiefs.
It seems a million years ago, now, but "firing coach Sirianni'' was very much a talking point at the time.
Remember?
It is worth reflection at this moment as on Monday the Eagles announced a contract extension for Siranni, who has defied the critics and used his particular style to become a champion.
But late last year?
Remember?
The idea was that the legendary Bill Belichick - before he even coached a down at his new gig at the University of North Carolina - might end up running the Eagles.
It was in part the wild idea of Fox Sports talk show host Colin Cowherd - with some level of credibility support from ProFootballTalk.com - that set this concept on fire.
There were and are, it seems, escape hatches for Belichick to dump the Tar Heels job by getting out of his contract with the school to return to the NFL.
Cowherd believed late last year that there's a chance he'll do just that for one particular potential job opening.
Cowherd thought that Sirianni was on thin ice and predicted that if the Eagles lost early in the playoffs, the team could fire him and hire Belichick.
"This is my hot take,'' Cowherd said. "If Philadelphia loses in the first round or the second round, Bill Belichick can get out of his contract in July. That's my hot take ... If Nick Sirianni gets bounced early ..."
These were, obviously, some large "if's.'' And once PFT piles on with Mike Florio suggesting that Sirianni could get fired and that Belichick could go elsewhere and that then -Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy could leave "America's Team'' to take over the Eagles?
The "if's'' started overcoming logic.
And now we know what we know ...
Belichick is "Back in School,'' trying to downplay the influence that girlfriend Jordon Hudson has on his personal and professional life.
And Sirianni is back with the Eagles, for the long haul, the ghost of Belichick in his rear-view mirror as he tries to win another Super Bowl in Philly.