Will Vic Fangio Return for 2026? Eagles DC Weighing His Future After Decades in the NFL
After 25 seasons in the NFL, Vic Fangio has seen just about everything pro football has to offer. Now, as he approaches his 68th birthday and the 2026 season looms, the veteran defensive coordinator may be nearing a decision point on his coaching future.
Fangio’s potential retirement isn’t just idle speculation-it’s a real conversation happening inside league circles. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo recently joined The Anthony Gargano Show and shed some light on the uncertainty surrounding Fangio’s next move.
According to Garafolo, this offseason feels a lot like last year’s, when Fangio was reportedly telling colleagues he was ready to step away following a Super Bowl win. He ultimately returned, but the signs suggest he’s again weighing whether to call it a career.
“I haven’t seen anything definitive that he’s coming back. I haven’t seen anything definitive that he’s retiring,” Garafolo said. “Nothing would surprise me either way.”
That indecision makes sense. Fangio isn’t just another name on a coaching staff-he’s one of the most respected defensive minds of his generation.
His coaching résumé stretches back to 1986, when he broke into the league with the New Orleans Saints as a linebackers coach. From there, he built a reputation as a cerebral, detail-oriented architect of elite defenses.
Over the years, Fangio has left his mark on multiple franchises. He’s held key roles with the Panthers, Colts, Texans, Ravens, and 49ers, consistently elevating the units he worked with.
His time with the Bears, starting in 2015, helped turn Chicago’s defense into one of the league’s most feared. That success eventually landed him a head coaching opportunity with the Denver Broncos in 2019.
Fangio’s stint in Denver was a mixed bag. Over three seasons, he posted a 19-30 record and didn’t reach the playoffs. After being let go, he chose to sit out the 2022 season rather than jump right back into a coordinator job-a sign that he’s always been willing to wait for the right situation.
In 2023, he returned to the sidelines with the Dolphins, but his tenure there lasted just one season before he made his way to Philadelphia in January 2024. The Eagles brought him in to stabilize a defense that had struggled to find consistency, and Fangio’s presence immediately added credibility and structure to the unit.
Now, with another season under his belt and nothing left to prove, Fangio finds himself at a crossroads. He’s built a legacy that few defensive coordinators can match, and if he decides to walk away, he’ll do so as one of the most influential defensive minds of the modern NFL era.
But if he returns? The Eagles will once again have one of the sharpest strategists in the game calling the shots on defense.
For now, the football world waits. And knowing Fangio, he’ll take his time to make the right call.