ESPN firstly reported on Thursday morning that Fangio was en route to Philadelphia to sign his contract, kick-starting a new chapter in his career.
Former Dolphins’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is traveling to Philadelphia this morning to officially sign the contract to become the Eagles’ new defensive coordinator, per league source. Eagles officially get their man. pic.twitter.com/jnBBTkhvas
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 25, 2024
His journey marks an expected shift where the 65-year-old replaces Sean Desai, who saw his duties diminish in December before being released post-season.
Upon assuming the role, Fangio replaces not just Desai but also Matt Patricia, who temporarily took over the play-calling duties following Desai’s demotion.
Patricia, after fulfilling his contract, has expressed that he will not be returning to the Philadelphia Eagles.
For Fangio, associating with the Philadelphia Eagles isn’t a new experience. Before being hired by the Dolphins, the tactical genius collaborated with the Eagles as a consultant for two weeks prior to the Super Bowl last February.
In the wake of Fangio’s move to Miami, the Eagles lost their Defensive Coordinator, Jonathan Gannon, who took up the mantle as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
The Eagles then hired Desai, renowned as a protégé of Fangio, due to their time together in Chicago (2015-18) when Fangio was the defensive coordinator.
However, this move did not pay off for the Eagles. Their defense performed poorly, finishing 26th in total defense and yielding 356 yards each game.
They also fared terribly concerning pass defense, ranking 31st and giving up 253 yards per game.
The scoring defense saw a similarly drastic hit, with the Eagles sliding onto the 30th spot and allowing an average of 25.2 points in each game.
This decline was a rough low during the final phase of the season; the Eagle’s 1-6 finish was finalised by a dismal average of 30.4 points surrendered per game.
