Jeff Stoutland Won’t Return As Eagles OL Coach In 2026
Jeff Stoutland‘s iconic stint on the Eagles coaching staff has come to an end. The long-time offensive line coach announced that he won’t be returning to the Eagles coaching staff in 2026. However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says Stoutland is expected to stay with the organization in another role.
“I’ve decided my time coaching with the Eagles has come to an end,” Stoutland wrote on X. “When I arrived here in 2013, I did not know what I was signing up for. I quickly learned what this city demands. But more importantly, what it gives back. The past 13 years have been the great privilege of my coaching career. I didn’t just work here, I became one of you. Stout out.”
Stoutland spent decades coaching in college football before joining the Eagles staff under Chip Kelly in 2013. Despite the organization later employing two other head coaches, the OL coach has stuck around while earning a reputation as one of the NFL’s premier offensive line gurus. Over his 14 years in Philadelphia, Stoutland won a pair of Super Bowls while coaching eight linemen to a combined 26 Pro Bowls and 14 All-Pro nods. He earned the additional title of run-game coordinator in 2018, although the coach reportedly lost that role midway through the 2025 campaign.
While the coach has been credited with the elite play of the likes of Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, and Jason Peters, he did have several additional accomplishments during his long tenure with the franchise. That includes coaching up former rugby player Jordan Mailata, who never played organized football before joining the Eagles. Mailata has since started 85 games over his eight seasons with the organization, leading the lineman to declare his alma mater as “Jeff Stoutland University” during a Sunday Night Football matchup in 2022.
Since Nick Sirianni has come on board, the head coach has credited Stoutland with the rise of the infamous “Tush Push.” After making the play a regular part of their playbook in 2022, quarterback Jalen Hurts has found the end zone 50 times, with the majority of those scores coming from the one- or two-yard line. Stoutland also guided a prolific rushing attack in 2024 that saw Saquon Barkley compile a record 2,504 rushing yards between the regular season and playoffs.
It’s uncertain if the addition of new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion entirely influenced Stoutland’s decision, although Rapoport does note that the OC intends to bring in his own offensive staff. Zach Berman of The Athletic clarifies that the Mannion and Sirianni wanted to keep Stoutland on their staff, but it was ultimately the veteran coach’s decision to step away. Further, while it sounds like the Eagles intend to keep the veteran coach in the building, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo predicts that rival teams will surely check in on his availability.
While the move will have a massive impact on Philly’s approach to their coaching staff, it could also influence some roster decisions. As Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com observes, Stoutland’s departure from the coaching staff could influence Johnson’s decision to keep playing in 2026.
Steelers To Hire Brian Angelichio As OC
Mike McCarthy is close to a deal with an offensive coordinator. The Steelers are nearing an agreement with Brian Angelichio, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reports.
Only connected to the Pittsburgh OC position during this year’s cycle, Angelichio has been Minnesota’s tight ends coach for the past four seasons. He also served as pass-game coordinator during that span. Angelichio has a past with McCarthy, coaching Packers tight ends from 2016-18. While ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Vikings made an effort to retain Angelichio, the allure of an OC role will be too enticing to turn down.
A Tuesday report pointed to Angelichio being the favorite for this role. This came after Scott Tolzien — a former Packers QB and Cowboys assistant under McCarthy — removed his name from consideration. Tolzien is returning to the Saints, clearing a path for Angelichio to land his first OC opportunity at 53.
An NFL assistant since 2012, Angelichio does have a Pittsburgh past. He served as Pitt’s tight ends coach from 2006-10. After a year at Rutgers, Angelichio followed Greg Schiano to the NFL as Buccaneers tight ends coach. He then served in that capacity for the Browns, Packers, Washington and Panthers from 2014-21. The Vikings hired him for the same role but added a pass-game coordinator title as well. But Angelichio will move up after a 14-season span coaching tight ends.
Previous Steelers OC Arthur Smith had been among the TEs coaches to display upward mobility from that role, but Angelichio had not been interviewed for an OC post since 2023. The Cowboys and Ravens interviewed him during that offseason, but no OC meetings came in 2024 or ’25 for the long-running assistant. Kevin O’Connell has fared well in Minnesota, however, and this marks a coaching tree branch for the 2024 Coach of the Year.
Angelichio’s most notable work as a tight ends coach came when Gary Barnidge produced a 1,043-yard season to lead the Browns in receiving in 2015. Barnidge had not eclipsed 200 yards before that unexpected age-30 breakout. He oversaw T.J. Hockenson‘s transition to Minnesota in recent years, with the trade acquisition reaching 960 yards in an injury-shortened 2023 season. Angelichio’s past with McCarthy is probably a bigger factor in this hire than intermittent success with tight ends, however.
McCarthy is set to call plays in Pittsburgh, establishing Angelichio as his top game-planning lieutenant. This marks a major change for the Steelers, whose OCs have called plays for ages — as Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin were all defensive-minded HCs. The Steelers have not sported a top-10 offense since Antonio Brown‘s 2019 departure, but they did rank 16th and 15th in scoring during Smith’s two seasons calling the shots. Smith is heading to the college ranks, set to become Ryan Day’s next OC at Ohio State.
Commanders To Hire Eric Henderson As Defensive Run Game Coordinator/DL Coach
The Commanders’ defensive staff under new coordinator Daronte Jones is continuing to take shape.
USC co-defensive coordinator Eric Henderson is set to join Washington as their defensive line coach/run game coordinator, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He also held those titles during his two years with the Trojans.
The 43-year-old started his NFL career as a Bengals defensive end, but only appeared in two games in 2008. After a few years in the now-defunct UFL, he retired from playing and began a coaching career at the college level. Henderson moved up to the NFL in 2017 as the Chargers’ assistant defensive line coach. After two years, he was hired by the Rams as their defensive line coach and had run game coordinator added to his title in 2023.
Headlined by Aaron Donald, the Rams’ defensive line was consistently excellent under Henderson, both in terms of stuffing the run and pressuring opposing quarterbacks. The unit played a major role in their 2018 and 2021 playoff runs, the latter of which featured a Super Bowl win for the franchise.
Henderson left Los Angeles in 2024 to get his first coordinator job, though he was not the Trojans’ defensive play-caller. Those duties fell to D’Anton Lynn, but after his departure for Penn State, Henderson called plays in the Alamo Bowl. USC’s defense ranked 57th and 51st in the FBS in points allowed in 2024 and 2025. Their run defense – Henderson’s focus – finished in a similar range. Those are uninspiring results, but his previous success in Los Angeles offers plenty of reason to believe that he can resurrect a Commanders run defense that ranked 30th in the league in 2025.
Eagles DC Vic Fangio Will Return For 2026 Season
After considering retirement for the second offseason in a row, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is expected to return to his post in 2026, per Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Fangio, 67, has been an NFL coach since 1986 (outside of one season as Stanford’s defensive coordinator in 2010). He finally won a Super Bowl last year – his first season in Philadelphia – and contemplated going out on top. Instead, he returned for the 2025 season and oversaw some regression, though his defense was still stronger than Kevin Patullo‘s offense.
The Eagles will be hoping Fangio’s unit can return to dominance in 2026, but keeping him in the building is already a major success. The organization has not had a smooth offseason thus far, as their search to replace Patullo did not go as planned. There did not seem to be as much interest in the job as one would expect for a star-studded offense still only a year removed from a Super Bowl win. Multiple candidates withdrew from consideration, and it even seemed like Brian Daboll was more interested in working with Cam Ward in Tennessee than reuniting with Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia after their first stint together at Alabama.
The Eagles eventually landed on Sean Mannion for their OC job. He has just two years of coaching experience, which will likely bring head coach Nick Sirianni into a bigger role in the offense. That made keeping Fangio even more important. This late in the hiring cycle, it would be almost impossible for the Eagles to find a worthy replacement.
They will not have to worry about such a task, for now. But Fangio’s retirement is clearly approaching, and his will not be easy shoes to fill.
Texans Add Brandon Codrington To Offseason Roster
The Texans have added a former All-Rookie Team member to their offseason roster. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Texans have signed returner Brandon Codrington to a reserve/futures contract.
Codrington brings a bit more intrigue than your standard reserve/futures contract, and that’s mostly thanks to the 25-year-old’s special teams ability. The North Carolina Central product first stood out as a member of the Jets during the 2024 preseason, when he returned a kickoff for 63 yards and a punt for 31 yards.
He was later traded to Buffalo, where he proceeded to have a productive rookie campaign. He ultimately finished that 2024 season having returned 11 kickoffs for 306 yards and 27 punts for 313 yards. He was limited to only four games in 2025 but still garnered even more looks in the kickoff game, where he had 14 returns for 375 yards.
Codrington also got a bit of run on defense, where he served as a wide corner and a slot corner. He ultimately compiled nine tackles and one pass defended while appearing in 79 total defensive snaps.
While he’d likely have an uphill battle to contribute defensively in Houston, Codrington could compete for a returner role. Rookie third-round pick Jaylin Noel served as the primary kick and punt returner in 2025, but he could see reduced snaps in 2026 if his offensive responsibility increases. If that’s the case, Codrington could find himself competing with the likes of Tremon Smith and the returning Tank Dell for any leftover ST snaps.
Packers Don’t Expect To Retain QB Malik Willis
Following a successful two-year stint as Jordan Love‘s backup, quarterback Malik Willis will likely be playing elsewhere in 2026. GM Brian Gutekunst admitted that the Packers will likely lose their QB2 this offseason as Willis pursues an opportunity to compete for a starting spot, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport backs that sentiment, noting that a Willis departure “feels like a given.”
The former third-round pick out of Liberty was once viewed as a steal by the Titans, although the QB never had a chance to truly show his talent in Tennessee. He garnered three starts as a rookie but didn’t impress, completing barely 50 percent of his passes for 276 yards and three interceptions (he added another 123 rushing yards and a touchdown on 27 attempts). Following the addition of Will Levis in the 2023 draft, Willis was pushed further down the depth chart, and he attempted only five passes during that 2023 campaign.
Willis was traded to the Packers at the end of the 2024 preseason and was quickly pushed into action after Love suffered an MCL sprain in the season opener. Willis ended up guiding the Packers to wins in each of his two starts while filling in for Love, completing 25 of his 33 pass attempts for 324 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 114 yards and a score on the ground. Willis had a few more cameos throughout the 2024 campaign, tossing another touchdown and adding 24 rushing yards.
It took 11 games for him to make his first appearance of the 2025 campaign, but Willis still impressed in limited reps. He guided the team to a touchdown in a win over the Giants, and he added another passing touchdown and 44 rushing yards while relieving Love in a loss to the Bears. The Packers lost his Week 18 start to the Ravens, but he still completed 18 of his 21 pass attempts, tossed a touchdown, and found the end zone twice on the ground.
While Willis still only has six starts in four years, his successful cameos have set him up for a potential starting gig in 2026. The 26-year-old leads a free agent class that includes the likes of Daniel Jones, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson. Willis could be seen as a logical bridge QB or a seat-warmer ahead of a young signal caller, or he could be added as competition for an incumbent. Either way, Willis will likely be viewed as more than a QB2, which should price out the Packers.
Cardinals To Interview Texans DBs Coach Dino Vasso For DC Job
The Cardinals submitted a request to interview Texans defensive backs coach Dino Vasso for their defensive coordinator vacancy, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Vasso, 38, has spent the last five years in Houston, starting as the cornerbacks coach in 2021 before moving into his current role in 2024. He has been instrumental in the development of the Texans’ starting secondary – safeties Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock and cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter – who were all drafted during his tenure. In each of the last two years, Houston has ranked sixth against the pass and recorded 19 interceptions. Their two-season total of 38 picks leads the league.
Vasso began his NFL coaching career as an assistant with the Chiefs in 2013. He then served as the Eagles’ assistant secondary coach (2016-2019) and assistant defensive coordinator (2020), missing ex-Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon by a year. Instead, Jim Schwartz was Vasso’s defensive coordinator in Philadelphia, where he also worked with now-Texans DC Matt Burke for the first time.
The Cardinals have a slew of young defensive backs who could benefit from time under Vasso; among them are cornerbacks Will Johnson, Max Melton, and Denzel Burke and safeties Kitan Crawford and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson to Their linebacker and defensive line rooms are older and more proven, so hiring a coach with secondary expertise could get the most out of the entire defense.
With an offensive-minded head coach in Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals may want to find a DC who can install and call his own defense right away. At the same time, the current roster is nowhere near contention, so a first-time play-caller could be afforded more patience in Arizona relative to a more win-now situation.
The Cardinals’ other coordinator spot is already set with the surprising hire of Nathaniel Hackett. It was unclear at the time if Arizona was in compliance with the Rooney Rule, but they did interview Commanders quarterbacks coach D.J. Williams for the job, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/4/26
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
Patriots Won’t Activate RB Terrell Jennings From IR
Terrell Jennings won’t be joining the Patriots’ Super Bowl roster. While the running back returned to practice last month, his activation window has come and gone without him joining the active roster. As a result, the former UDFA will remain on injured reserve, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
Jennings suffered a concussion in an early-December win over the Giants. He subsequently landed on injured reserve, although he was designated for return on January 14. This meant the Patriots had three weeks to add him to the 53-man roster. However, with a healthy depth chart, the Patriots will keep him sidelined for the season finale.
The former Texas A&M standout joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 draft. He spent most of his rookie campaign on New England’s practice squad, although he did manage to work his way into three contests. Jennings ultimately finished the 2024 season with 33 yards from scrimmage on 13 touches.
He was pushed further down the depth chart following the Patriots’ selection of TreVeyon Henderson during the 2025 draft, although he did get a look on the active roster following Antonio Gibson‘s season-ending injury. Jennings ultimately got into seven games during his sophomore campaign, finishing with 82 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 24 touches.
While the team gave both Rhamondre Stevenson and Henderson extended looks during the 2025 season, the veteran has commanded most of the looks during the postseason. That duo will likely garner all of the snaps at the position during the Super Bowl, with practice squad RB D’Ernest Johnson serving as the emergency third RB on the depth chart.
Extension Talks Between Packers, Tucker Kraft Will Happen In “Near Future”
After emerging as one of Jordan Love‘s preferred targets over the past two years, Tucker Kraft is now in line for an extension. Packers GM Brian Gutekunst told reporters that the front office has already been in contact with Kraft’s camp about “how the organization feels about him”, and extension talks “will happen in the near future,” per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
Kraft is currently rehabbing a torn ACL that ended his 2025 campaign prematurely. The 2026 season will represent the final year of the former third-round pick’s rookie contract.
After showing flashes as a rookie in 2023, Kraft had a breakout showing in 2024. After leaping fellow 2023 draftee Luke Musgrave on the depth chart, Kraft proceeded to haul in 50 catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns in 17 games. He was set to exceed those numbers in 2025. Through the first half of the season, the tight end was averaging a career-high 61.1 yards per game, and his six touchdowns had him on pace for double-digit scores.
Unfortunately, Kraft’s season ended in November after he suffered a serious knee injury. While the tight end isn’t targeting a specific return date, he did recently tell the team website that he’s hoping to be “bulletproof” by the start of the 2026 season. Kraft also noted that he didn’t experience any complications from his surgery.
Other than impending free agent Romeo Doubs, the Packers are set to return their same grouping of pass catchers in 2026. However, only 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden is attached to a contract beyond that campaign. While the team will surely look to lock in some of those receivers, it makes sense that the front office would put in a concerted effort to extend their pass-catching tight end.
While the injury may partly influence the Packers’ offer, the team is surely anticipating Kraft to command a lucrative long-term deal. $20MM in guarantees wouldn’t even put the player in the top-10 at his position, and a $14MM AAV would put him just inside the top-five among tight ends. 2022 fourth-round pick Jake Ferguson would likely be the starting point in negotiations; the Cowboys tight end inked a four-year, $52MM deal ($21.4MM guaranteed) last summer.