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.
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.
Commanders Part Ways With Ryan Kerrigan, Sharrif Floyd, Pete Ohnegian
The Commanders are parting ways with some of their incumbent defensive coaching staff.
Assistant linebackers coach/pass rush specialist Ryan Kerrigan, assistant defensive line coach Sharrif Floyd, and player development coach Pete Ohnegian will all be leaving the team, per KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson. The moves were expected regardless of who the team selected as their DC, according to ESPN’s John Keim.
Kerrigan, 37, is the highest-profile departure. He spent 10 of his 11 NFL seasons in Washington, earned four Pro Bowls, and finished his career as the franchise leader in tackles for loss (116) and forced fumbles (26). Kerrigan also ranks second in team history with 95.5 sacks. After retiring in 2021, he returned to Washington as an assistant defensive line coach. He spent two years in that role before the arrival of Dan Quinn in 2024, who moved Kerrigan to the position he just vacated. The Commanders’ pass rush was middling in his first year in the role, but regressed this past season.
Floyd, 34, is also a former player. He was a Vikings defensive tackle from 2013 to 2017 and started a coaching career shortly after. He started at the high school level and served as an undergraduate assistant at Florida before joining the Cowboys as an assistant defensive line/defensive quality control coach in 2023. He then followed Quinn to Washington, where the Commanders have struggled against the run in back-to-back years.
Ohnegian was another assistant on Quinn’s staff in Dallas, though he only worked for the Cowboys in 2023. Like Floyd, he followed Quinn to Washington in 2024 and moved into a player development role.
Vikings DC Brian Flores Will Make More Than $6MM On New Deal
When Brian Flores‘ contract with the Vikings expired, he was expected to become one of the hottest coaches on the market.
That level of interest never materialized. Flores only interviewed with three teams – the Ravens and the Steelers for their head coaching jobs and the Commanders for their defensive coordinator vacancy – and they all went in different directions.
The Vikings, meanwhile, did not even start a search for a replacement. They were clearly intent on keeping Flores in Minnesota, giving him the leverage to negotiate what might be the biggest coordinator contract in the league right now, if not all-time. The 44-year-old will earn over $6MM per year on his new deal, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
Coaching contracts are not publicized in the same way player contracts are, so there is no definitive ranking of coordinator pay across the league. But the Raiders reportedly gave Chip Kelly $6MM per year to be their offensive coordinator in 2025; that was thought to be the most of any assistant coach in the league. He was fired along with the rest of Pete Carroll‘s staff after just one season, which could mean that Flores is now the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL.
The Vikings tried to extend Flores before the end of the regular season, but he understandably wanted to explore potential head coaching opportunities. Another reason for his hesitation to re-up in Minnesota was “his unease with the direction of the front office,” according to Seifert.
However, the team’s decision to fire general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah 10 days after re-signing Flores is likely an example of correlation, not causation. It seems unlikely that a defensive coordinator could force a general manager out, not to mention the time gap between the moves.
Steelers Close To Hiring Brian Angelichio As OC?
FEBRUARY 3: The Steelers and Angelichio met on Tuesday, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and it seems to have gone well. The two sides are “close to agreeing on a deal” that would make him the team’s offensive coordinator, per Kaboly.
FEBRUARY 2: The Steelers are considering yet another former Mike McCarthy assistant for a job on his new staff in Pittsburgh.
Brian Angelichio, the Vikings’ passing game coordinator/tight ends coach, is expected to interview for the Steelers’ offensive coordinator vacancy in the coming days, per Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show. He previously served as the Packers’ tight ends coach from 2016 to 2018, working closely with both McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers.
Angelichio, 53, began his coaching career in 1995 and spent the next 16 years working for several college programs. He found his specialty as a tight ends coach at the University of Pittsburgh in 2006. After five years with the Panthers and a one-season stint at Rutgers, Angelichio moved to the NFL as the Buccaneers’ tight ends coach. He held the same position in Cleveland (2014-2015), Green Bay (2016-2018), Washington (2019), and Carolina (2020-2021) before joining Kevin O’Connell‘s staff in Minnesota.
The Vikings’ passing game has been one of the league’s best during Angelichio’s tenure. The team ranked no worse than sixth in passing yards and fifth in touchdowns from 2022 to 2024, though the move to J.J. McCarthy in 2025 dropped them to 29th in both categories. Angelichio has worked closely with T.J. Hockenson, who earned a Pro Bowl after being acquired by Minnesota at the 2022 trade deadline and followed it up with career-highs in receptions and receiving yards in 2023.
Angelichio is considered a “strong contender,” for the job, per Kaboly, who even suggests he could be hired by the end of the week. He has not drawn interest as a potential offensive coordinator since 2023, when he interviewed with the Ravens and the Cowboys. But he now finds himself on – maybe even atop – the Steelers’ list of candidates for the job.
Mike LaFleur Will Call Cardinals’ Offense; Wink Martindale Among DC Candidates
The Cardinals were the second-to-last team to hire a new head coach this cycle, putting them behind the ball in the search for their coordinators.
With an offensive-minded head coach in Mike LaFleur, Arizona’s defensive coordinator hire will be crucial. LaFleur will call plays for the offense, per team reporter Darren Urban, but he will need to find someone he trusts to take up those duties on defense. The first-time head coach may also be looking to add some experience to his staff.
Former Ravens and Giants defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale could fit the bill. He is a “name to watch” in the Cardinals’ search for a defensive play-caller, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Martindale, 62, just finished a two-year stint as Michigan’s defensive coordinator. The Wolverines were not as dominant as they were under their last two defensive coordinators, Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter, but they still ranked 19th and 29th in points in 2024 and 2025, respectively. But in Martindale’s previous three seasons as a DC – two with the Giants and his last year with the Ravens – his unit ranked no better than 17th in points allowed and 25th in total defense. However, in Martindale’s first three years as Baltimore’s DC, the Ravens boasted a top-three scoring defense.
Martindale’s blitz-heavy scheme could benefit a Cardinals defense that registered just 30 sacks in 2025, tied for the third-fewest in the NFL. He would also bring four decades of experience on the defensive side of the ball and connections to plenty of assistant coaches around the league who can fill out his staff.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/2/26
Three teams signed players to reserve/futures deals on Monday. Here are the latest updates:
Dallas Cowboys
- QB Will Grier
Kansas City Chiefs
- QB Jake Haener
New York Jets
- DT Jack Heflin
Haener, 26, was offered a futures deal by the Saints, per Jeff Duncan of The Times Picayune, but sought a better opportunity instead. Kansas City may present one. The Chiefs only have one quarterback – Chris Oladokun – under contract for the 2026 season other than Patrick Mahomes, who will spend the next several months working his back from a torn ACL. Mahomes is unlikely to be ready for Week 1, so the Chiefs will be evaluating alternative quarterback options this offseason. It seems like Haener will be one of them.
Declan Doyle Left Bears, Joined Ravens To Call Plays
Declan Doyle was planning to stay in Chicago for at least one more year. The 29-year-old withdrew from the Eagles’ search for a new offensive coordinator, telling them he would remain with the Bears, who were under the same impression.
Then, the Ravens came calling, and their offer – to work with Jesse Minter and call plays for Lamar Jackson – was too good to turn down. Ben Johnson‘s presence in Chicago would keep Doyle from ever becoming the Bears’ play-caller. With many (though not all) teams looking for such experience when hiring new head coaches, Doyle accepted the job in Baltimore.
While Minter and Jackson were major draws, Doyle was already working with one of the league’s most exciting head coach-quarterback duos in Johnson and Caleb Williams. Instead, the opportunity to develop and call his own offense put the appeal of the Ravens’ offensive coordinator gig over the top, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Jackson was named MVP in his first season with his last two offensive coordinators, Greg Roman and Todd Monken. The latter’s success with Jackson is a major reason he was named the Browns’ new head coach last week.
Similar results from Doyle will keep him on the radar for future head coaching gigs. He is already seen as a fast riser in the coaching world with time under Johnson and Sean Payton, two of the most respective offensive minds in the league. He played a key role in revitalizing the Bears in 2025, and success in Baltimore will further boost his resume for future hiring cycles.
Cowboys To Interview Georgia OLBs Coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe
Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker is looking to the college ranks to fill his new staff in Dallas. Georgia outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe will interview for a position on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
Uzo-Diribe, 33, has spent the last decade working in a variety of roles at the college level. He was a starting defensive lineman at Colorado, and after a brief stint with the Saints, returned to Boulder in 2016 as a graduate assistant.
Uzo-Diribe then went to Kansas as a defensive quality control coach in 2019 and received a promotion to outside linebackers coach the following year. One-year stints as the defensive line coach at SMU and TCU followed after which Uzo-Diribe was hired by Kirby Smart to lead the OLB room at Georgia. The Bulldogs churned out three first-round outside linebackers – Nolan Smith in 2023 and Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker in 2025 – during Uzo-Diribe’s tenure.
Interviewing an outside linebackers coach is yet another sign that the Cowboys will be switching their base defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 under Parker. Ejiro Evero, Vance Joseph, and Vic Fangio – the last three defensive coordinators under whom Parker worked – all run 3-4 schemes, which typically requires separate coaches for inside and outside linebackers.
This would be a major departure from the Cowboys, who have run a 4-3 since Jason Garrett was hired as head coach in 2013. His first defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, installed a 4-3 scheme to replace the 3-4 system first brought to Dallas by Bill Parcells. Every subsequent Cowboys DC – Rob Marinelli, Mike Nolan, Dan Quinn, Mike Zimmer, and Matt Eberflus – used a 4-3 defense, a trend that seems very likely to end with Parker.
Todd Monken Was Browns’ ‘Strong No. 1 Choice’
The Browns’ decision to hire Todd Monken surprised many around the NFL, but very few in Cleveland. The former Ravens offensive coordinator was the “strong No. 1 choice” of the team’s entire search committee, including general manager Andrew Berry, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
Monken, 59, beat out Nate Scheelhaase and Jim Schwartz for the job. Scheelhaase, the 35-year-old Rams’ passing game coordinator, is viewed as a future head coach around the league, including by the Browns. Schwartz has been the Browns’ defensive coordinator since 2023 and is currently trying to force his way out of Cleveland after being passed over for the head coaching gig.
The trio of finalist was determined by the Browns’ unorthodox hiring process that prioritized coaches’ resumes and reviews from former players and colleagues over their interviews, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Monken has a strong history with younger players dating back to an impressive stint as the head coach at Southern Miss, and his references included Jameis Winston, one of his quarterbacks in Tampa Bay; Kirby Smart, his head coach at Georgia; and Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens’ longtime front office executive.
That information, obtained early in the hiring process, kept Monken in the running even as younger candidates with hotter names interviewed for the job. Kevin Stefanski emerged as an early favorite in 2020 for similar reasons.
These reports could be interpreted as spin from the Browns after criticism of their coaching search, which featured several candidates who withdrew from consideration. Their decision to tap Monken over Scheelhaase is understandable, given his relative youth and inexperience, but opting not to promote Schwartz could cost them a coach they had been planning to keep all along.
Only time will tell if the Browns’ out-of-the-box approach to finding their new head coach will yield better results than more standard hiring practices. Monken has a tough task in front of him – Cleveland has won just eight games in the last two years – but the team seems confident that he can get the most out of their young roster.