Where Eagles, Vic Fangio Stand After Retirement 'Big Scare'

The Philadelphia Eagles filled their open offensive coordinator job this past week, but could another hole open up in the near future?

There has been chatter about defensive coordinator Vic Fangio since ESPN's Adam Schefter teased non-offensive coordinator news to come for the franchise on "Kincade and Salciunas" on 97.5 The Fanatic. This has led to a wide range of theories, including the idea of Fangio retiring.

On Sunday, Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice shared that Fangio has since been "convinced" by the team to stick around for another season, but did note that the rumors were real.

"According to multiple sources, the Philadelphia Eagles got a big scare recently when legendary defensive coordinator Vic Fangio informed the team that he was retiring from coaching in the NFL," Kempski wrote. "However, sources said that Fangio was convinced by the team's brass to stay for at least one more season in 2026.

Will Vic Fangio return in 2026?

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio walks onto the field before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

"For now, Fangio is back, though it should be noted that PhillyVoice reached out to an Eagles spokesperson to confirm that Fangio is still the team's defensive coordinator, and they declined to answer until further notice. As such, wiggle room exists for Fangio to change his mind again."

This doesn't necessarily guarantee that Fangio will be back. It's a long offseason and things could always shift. But this is a positive update, for now. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported that the idea of Fangio returning has been "leaning to the positive" but could change again.

"As Jimmy Kempski reports here, Vic Fangio’s return has been uncertain and sort of still is. It’s been leaning to the positive recently but could change again. The Eagles haven’t confirmed or denied anything to this point," Garafolo wrote.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported, while citing a source, that the team will "convince him to stay."

"The Eagles have dealt with this before with Fangio. He went back and forth a bunch after they won the Super Bowl," Russini wrote. "We’ll see if ultimately decides to step away. As one source shared, 'we’ll convince him to stay.'"

So, it sounds like those retirement rumors had some legs to them. But right now, things seem to be trending Philadelphia's way.

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