With beloved, and highly respected offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland leaving, with highly respected defensive backs coach Christian Parker leaving to be the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, with many highly attractive possibilities as offensive coordinator turning the Eagles down, with a cracked offensive line, with Lane Johnson contemplating retirement, and the Wild Card-round ouster from the playoffs, are they signs this window of Eagles’ success is about to close?
It looks like it.
The Eagles finished 11-6 in 2025, winning double-figure games for the fourth-straight season, which is the third time in franchise history the Eagles have done that behind the five-year runs of Andy Reid’s 2000-2004 teams and Buddy Ryan/Rich Kotite’s 1988-1992 teams.
What makes this four-year run unique was that it was the most victories that the Eagles had ever won in a four-year span (50)—including two Super Bowls, winning one, over Reid’s 2000-2003 (46) or 2001-2004 (48) teams, or Ryan’s 1988-1991 (41) or 1989-1992 (42) teams.
The 2025 season was not aesthetically pleasing.
The Eagles won more on a talented defense than offense, and apparently, coaching in 2025, finishing 24th overall in offense, averaging 311.2 yards a game, and 23rd in passing, averaging 194.3 yards a game, while defensively they held opponents to an average of less than one touchdown passing a game, and 19.1 points a game, which was fifth overall in the NFL, only surpassed by four playoff teams, including Super Bowl-bound Seattle and New England.
The Eagles also won in 2025 despite dysfunction.
On Wednesday, Stoutland, a prideful, stubborn, brilliant man, a bit on the egotistical side who has earned it, announced he was leaving the Eagles after 13 seasons: “Philadelphia, I’ve decided my time coaching with the Eagles has come to an end,” he wrote on social media. “When I arrived here in 2013, I did not know what I was signing up for. I quickly learned what this city demands. But more importantly, what it gives back. The past 13 years have been the great privilege of my coaching career. I didn’t just work here, I became one of you. Stout out.”
Notice Stoutland never thanked the Eagles, who also released a statement: “The Philadelphia Eagles thank Jeff Stoutland for his legendary contributions to the game of football at the college and professional levels. Stout’s influence throughout football is immense, having helped countless players reach their true potential, including many who went on to earn All-Pro honors and some who developed into future Hall of Fame talents. His passion for the development of young players set the bar not only for our organization but for the entire National Football League. It is hard to fathom another coach investing more personally and professionally in their players than Jeff Stoutland.”
Stoutland’s departure leaves a large fissure in the cracked walls of the NovaCare Complex. It was made public that Stoutland was demoted as the run game coordinator possibly as early as Week 7, after the Giants’ 34-17 debacle that dropped the Eagles to 4-2, with head coach Nick Sirianni playing more of a role in the offense. It did not help. Numerous NFL and major college sources said the 63-year-old Stoutland, who is based in the south, will not have any problem immediately finding a job. And the Eagles will be respectful enough, you would assume, to allow him out of the remainder of his contract to pursue other coaching possibilities.
The timing of Stoutland’s departure is interesting.
A week after it became public that Stoutland had been demoted during the 2025 season, the Eagles suddenly landed their new offensive coordinator, 33-year-old Sean Mannion, who then went on to hire Ryan Mahaffey, who will now be the Eagles’ new run game coordinator and tight ends coach.
According to numerous reports, Stoutland was offered a job as part of Mannion’s new staff. He declined, quite possibly because he felt betrayed by the way Sirianni and former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo began making changes without Stoutland’s input a third of the way into last season.
Here is how it works with most NFL teams: The offensive coordinator calls the offense, with input from the run coordinator, which many times is the offensive line coach or tight end’s coach. Did Mannion come in and tell the Eagles he would take the OC job if given absolute say in how the Eagles’ offense will be run in 2026? Quite possibly.
During the season on Tuesday mornings, the run coordinator comes in and lines up the type of running plays he likes for the next game. The offensive coordinator takes those suggestions and incorporates the ones he likes into the overall game plan. Because of the respect Stoutland has earned, the Eagles may have run most of what he suggested.
By the time Mannion was hired, and with Stoutland being demoted, the revered coach may have had one foot out of the NovaCare Complex already. Most teams work with collaboration. Very rarely with the complexities of today’s NFL’s offenses does an offensive coordinator take total control of the running game and the passing game. It is simply too much bandwidth to deal with.
Game plans are front loaded in the week. Run games are usually coordinated by the offensive line coach and/or tight ends coach.
It presents a new gaping hole the Eagles will need to fill in 2026 with Stoutland out.
The Eagles have larger problems looming, besides Stoutland’s exit. It is a franchise under Howie Roseman that is very good at building towards success—though is not as good at sustaining success. When the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2017, the NovaCare Complex was filled with everyone from Eagles’ owner Jeff Lurie on down taking credit for the Super Bowl win. It was not “We did it,” and more so “I did it,” behind the curtains.
In 2024, the Eagles won the Super Bowl on selflessness. Their motto: “You can’t be great without the greatness of others.” It was a talented, star-studded offense that had everyone willing to give up pieces of their game, “their numbers,” for the greater good—winning the Super Bowl. Success, again, created unreal expectations in 2025 that a new offensive coordinator with 17 years of NFL experience yet never called plays before in an NFL game, could handle a quarterback in Jalen Hurts, who was unwilling to run and create, as he did in 2024, and unwilling to work under center.
Mistrust began to build, numerous sources said, between what Hurts wanted and what Patullo was calling.
The offensive line, “Stoutland’s baby,” began showing wear from winning the Super Bowl. Center Cam Jurgens’ balky back caused him to look awful in 2025. Left tackle Jordan Mailata admitted he had an off season, while right tackle Lane Johnson played with a hyphened last name the latter part of 2025, “Lane Johnson-questionable,” after suffering a Lisfranc foot sprain during the Eagles’ November 16, 2025, game against the Detroit Lions.
Saquon Barkley went from 378 touches in 2024 to 317 touches in 2025, appearing less explosive, and was also hit often behind the line of scrimmage, because of a diminished, wounded offensive line. Tight end Dallas Goedert, safety Reed Blankenship, linebacker Nakobe Dean, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, punter Braden Mann, and veteran defensive lineman Brandon Graham, who proved he could still play, are all free agents. A.J. Brown wants out.
Roseman now not only has to rebuild the Eagles’ offensive line, but he also has to find a capable offensive line coach who his linemen can trust, because they will not get anyone nearly as good as Stoutland. The New York Giants will be much improved under John Harbaugh. The Dallas defense will be much improved under Parker. Washington will be much improved with a healthy Jayden Daniels.
The Eagles just completed a four-year run of 10 wins or better, winning 50 games and a Super Bowl. It was the best four-year span in franchise history. Every empire crumbles. The cracks are in the wall. Stoutland’s exodus just happens to be the latest brick to fall.
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