After what felt like a kick in the chest learning that Jeff Stoutland wasn’t returning to the Eagles coaching staff in 2026, there was a shimmer of good news reported by Jeff McLane, who was finally able to confirm that Vic Fangio will return as the defensive coordinator.
This was largely expected, but reports were very back and forth the past week about how close Fangio was to retirement and whether he had actually given the Eagles any kind of commitment that he’d be returning.
Obviously, with everything going on with the offensive coaching staff, having some stability on the defensive side is a big relief. Fangio did lose defensive backs coach Christian Parker to the Cowboys, but most of his staff is returning — Clint Hurtt interviewed for the Dolphins DC job, but didn’t get it, so it’s likely he’ll be back developing Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis and the big men up front.
Hearing how close Fangio was to retiring, not just this season, but the last two years now, makes his departure much sooner than fans were hoping. Still, he’s another legend of the game who deserves to walk away whenever is best for him — hopefully that’s after another Super Bowl victory.
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