As if the Philadelphia Eagles couldn't escape the drama after the offensive coordinator search, it only got worse with the explosive report about defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Philly Voice's Eagles reporter Jimmy Kempski shared that the Eagles had to talk Fangio out of retirement after the season and stay on the coaching staff in 2026. While Kempski's report made it seem like he would stay on, other insiders, such as Mike Garafolo and Dianna Russini, have indicated that nothing is 100% certain.
This is leaving Eagles fans uneasy, as the team reportedly reached out to Jim Schwartz and Jonathan Gannon about being potential replacements for Fangio before he decided to hold off on retiring for now. If Fangio ends up going back to his original decision on retiring, what are the best options for the Eagles to pick as the new defensive coordinator?
Jim Schwartz, Cleveland Browns Defensive Coordinator
Schwartz makes all the sense in the world. Despite the Browns' only winning five games in the 2025 season, he still coached the second-best defense in the NFL.
There's a lot of tension in Cleveland right now after Schwartz was passed over for the head coach job, and reports indicate he told staffers he is out, so the Eagles could bring back the man who led the defense in 2017 to the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl win. This would require a scheme change, but with Schwartz and, potentially, bringing his top defensive lineman, Myles Garrett, with him, the Eagles could be unstoppable and not lose a beat.
Clint Hurtt, Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Line Coach
The next logical move would be just to promote Hurtt to defensive coordinator with Gannon out of the picture as the Green Bay Packers' new defensive coordinator. This wouldn't be a bad move at all since Hurtt knows Fangio's scheme from being in Philly the last two years and having prior defensive coordinator experience with the Seattle Seahawks.
Hurtt would be the smoothest transition without ruffling the coaching staff too badly, given how late in the game it is. The Eagles' defense is talented enough that even with him as the defensive coordinator, this could work.
Anthony Weaver, Former Miami Dolphins Defensive Coordinator
If the Eagles look on the outside for a defensive coordinator, a popular name for the head coaching and defensive coordinator job is Anthony Weaver. Over the last two years, Weaver has led the Miami Dolphins' defense and served as the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans in 2020.
There is a strong chance that Weaver would land a head coaching job in the next two to three years if he were successful as the Eagles' defensive coordinator. At this point, Philly shouldn't be too picky about it if they need to get the top guy for the job.
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Wink Martindale, Former Michigan Wolverines Defensive Coordinator
Martindale has been a longtime defensive coach, serving as a defensive coordinator dating back to the 80s. His last stop was serving as the defensive coordinator at Michigan for the last two years.
He's run some great defenses with the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens in the past 10 years, and the good thing about him is that he would not be a candidate for a head coaching job, so he would stick around for a while. This is a pretty good option for the Eagles.