There has been a lot of confusion and total chaos for the Philadelphia Eagles following the Vic Fangio saga.
Philly Voice's Eagles reporter Jimmy Kempski shared a bombshell report that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had considered retirement, but the team convinced him to stay for the 2026 season. NFL insiders Mike Garafolo and Dianna Russini confirmed the report, but added that nothing was 100% certain and he could still retire from football, leaving Eagles fans with more anxiety than they needed.
While on media row covering the Super Bowl, PHLY Eagles insider E.J. Smith shared his latest report on the Fangio situation and where the team was at with it. Smith made it clear, though, that the Eagles know Fangio's status for 2026.
"Late last week, he did seriously consider retirement. There were contingency plans put in place. The Eagles were, I would say, concerned about Vic Fangio's intentions on coming back for another season," Smith said. "After much persuasion and further consideration, I can tell you that Vic Fangio is no longer seriously considering retirement. He's expected to return as the Eagles' defensive coordinator."
Vic Fangio appears to be coming back to the Eagles in 2026
This is obviously great news since Fangio is such an important piece to this Eagles franchise. In the last two seasons, Philly has finished in the top 15 in total defense and points allowed, helping it win a Super Bowl in 2024 and carry it to the playoffs this past season.
All indications are that this isn't the first time the Eagles have faced this situation, as Fangio contemplated retirement after the Super Bowl victory but elected to come back instead. This will become the norm for the Eagles, as they went through the same thing with former center Jason Kelce and will do the same with right tackle Lane Johnson moving forward.
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It appears the Eagles avoided disaster for now with Fangio, but this should serve as a cautionary tale for the team to ensure they have a backup plan in case Fangio decides to retire again.