Eagles Get Vic Fangio Update Amid Retirement Rumors

Do the Philadelphia Eagles need to find a new defensive coordinator before the 2026 National Football League season rolls around?

This is a question that picked up steam last week as rumors surfaced indicating that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been considering retirement. Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice reported that there was a "big scare" with Fangio trending towards retirement, but as of Feb. 1, he was "convinced" to stay for 2026 with "wiggle room" that his mind could change.

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NFL Network's Mike Garafolo shared a report on Monday with an update indicating the same. Garafolo reported that things are "tracking towards" Fangio returning, but nothing can be fully guaranteed yet.

Will Vic Fangio return?

Jul 24, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio addresses media during training camp at NovaCare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

"His time in Philadelphia is as up in the air as it was last year at this time after the Super Bowl," Garafolo said. "He did mention to some folks that he was potentially going to retire in this case and then wound up coming back. This year, and these past couple of weeks, sort of have been the same thing for Vic Fangio now. Over the last week, we've been tracking it. Over the last couple of weeks, but really over the last week when there's been some conversations between the sides.

"It seems like it's tracking towards him coming back, but the Eagles haven't confirmed or denied anything to this point. And they didn't throughout the whole process because nobody knows in the end how it's going to play out. Again, we didn't know last year how it was going to play out. It is TBD on Vic Fangio's future in Philadelphia. Again, pointing toward him coming back at this point, but Vic could change his mind again."

This is a topic that came up last offseason and if Fangio does return, it's not going to be the last time retirement buzz picks up. The best-case scenario would be another year with Fangio leading the defense and a year to think about who could take over. With the Eagles bringing in a new offensive coordinator this offseason, keeping some continuity would only help for the 2026 season. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have one of the top defensive minds in the game around.

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