When it comes to building a contender through the NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys might want to glance across the NFC East and take a few notes. Philadelphia has been a model of roster construction under general manager Howie Roseman, especially when it comes to finding value on draft day.
But for all the Eagles' success in that department, they’re facing a far more immediate concern-and it’s not about who they’re drafting next. It’s about who’s still in the building.
Let’s start with the offense. The Eagles’ search for a new offensive coordinator has been, to put it kindly, rocky.
They’ve swung big and missed bigger. Mike McDaniel and Brian Daboll were reportedly on their radar, but neither showed much interest in joining Nick Sirianni’s staff.
Even the second-tier candidates passed. That’s not just a miss-it’s a message.
Around the league, there seems to be hesitation about tying one’s coaching future to this current Eagles setup.
That alone would be enough to raise eyebrows. But then came the real gut punch: a report that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was considering retirement.
Yes, that Vic Fangio-the architect of one of the league’s most dominant defenses over the past three seasons. According to Jimmy Kempski, Fangio was seriously mulling stepping away before ultimately agreeing to return for the 2026 season.
But “agreeing” isn’t “committing,” and as Kempski noted, there’s still wiggle room for Fangio to change his mind.
If you’re the Cowboys, Giants, or Commanders, this is the kind of uncertainty you dream about in a division rival. Fangio has been the stabilizing force in Philly.
His scheme, his experience, and his ability to maximize talent have turned the Eagles' defense into a championship-caliber unit. If he walks, that’s not just a coaching change-it’s a seismic shift.
The Eagles know it, too. That’s why they reportedly reached out to former DC Jonathan Gannon, now with the Packers, about a possible return.
No dice-Gannon’s locked in up north. They also explored a potential reunion with Jim Schwartz, who led the Eagles’ defense from 2016 to 2020.
Schwartz is currently in a complicated spot with the Browns after losing out on the head coaching job in Cleveland, but even so, nothing has materialized on that front either.
All of this underscores just how critical Fangio is to the Eagles’ identity. During their 2024 Super Bowl run, Philadelphia’s defense was a force of nature-first in yards allowed, second in EPA per play.
They weren’t just good, they were suffocating. While the 2025 version wasn’t quite as dominant, it still ranked among the league’s best, posting a -0.09 EPA per play and a 41.3% success rate, per Sumer Sports.
That kind of consistency doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the product of talent, yes, but also of a system that works-and a coach who knows how to run it.
Roseman has done his part bringing in players who fit the mold. Fangio’s been the one molding them into a unit.
So what happens if he leaves? That’s the question keeping people up at night in Philly.
Even if he stays, the fact that retirement was on the table creates a cloud of uncertainty. Is this his final year?
Is the team planning for life after Fangio? And how does that affect the mindset of a roster that, just a year ago, was celebrating a Super Bowl?
Add in the offensive coordinator carousel and Sirianni’s increasingly precarious position, and you’ve got a franchise teetering on the edge. This isn’t just about replacing a coach-it’s about holding together a team that seems to be fraying at the seams.
The Eagles’ Wild Card loss to a banged-up 49ers squad at home didn’t help the optics. Neither did the eventual hire of 33-year-old Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator.
Mannion, previously the Packers’ quarterbacks coach, has never called plays. He wasn’t the top choice-or even the second or third.
But in the end, he was the one who said yes.
That says something.
Now, the most important coordinator on the team is thinking about walking away. And if he does, the Eagles could be staring down a full-blown identity crisis.
Right now, the foundation in Philadelphia is still standing. But there are cracks forming-and everyone in the NFC East is watching closely.