Jordan Mailata Reacts to Jeff Stoutland’s Departure: “I Bawled My Eyes Out”
When a coach changes a player’s life, it hits different. And for Jordan Mailata, the news that Jeff Stoutland is stepping down as the Eagles’ offensive line coach hit like a blindside blitz.
“I bawled my eyes out,” Mailata said Thursday, still clearly shaken. “Talked to Stout, and I couldn’t formulate a sentence. I was just crying.”
That kind of reaction doesn’t come from just any coach-player relationship. This one was built on belief, patience, and transformation.
Let’s rewind. Mailata was a seventh-round pick in 2018 - a rugby player from Australia with zero football experience.
Not “raw talent” raw. We’re talking “never put on pads” raw.
But Stoutland saw something. And over the course of seven seasons, he helped mold Mailata into an All-Pro left tackle by 2024.
That’s not just development - that’s a football miracle.
“I don’t think there are enough words I can put in a social media post on what I think of the man and how much he has helped change my life,” Mailata said. “To be honest, selfishly, I’m very heartbroken.”
And who could blame him?
Stoutland wasn’t just a position coach. He was the architect behind one of the most dominant offensive lines in football over the last decade-plus. His fingerprints are all over the Eagles’ recent success - three Super Bowl appearances since the 2017-2018 season, with two Lombardi Trophies to show for it.
You don’t build that kind of sustained excellence without elite trench play. And you don’t get elite trench play without someone like Stoutland leading the room.
He didn’t just coach stars - he built them. Lane Johnson.
Jason Kelce. Jordan Mailata.
All-Pro players, Hall of Fame trajectories, and all products of Stoutland’s system, teaching, and relentless standards. And those are just the headliners.
The list of linemen he developed runs deep.
Replacing him? That’s going to be one of the Eagles’ toughest assignments this offseason. You can scheme up all the X’s and O’s you want, but finding someone who can connect with players, teach at an elite level, and consistently produce top-tier talent the way Stoutland did - that’s rare air.
For Mailata, this isn’t just about losing a coach. It’s about losing the man who helped him go from a long shot to a cornerstone. And in Philly, where the offensive line has been the engine of the team’s identity, it’s the end of an era.
Jeff Stoutland may be stepping away from the sideline, but his legacy in Philadelphia - and in the careers he helped shape - is going to echo for a long time.