Sources: Eagles considered Jim Schwartz and Jonathan Gannon for defensive coordinator job after Vic Fangio retirement scare

The Philadelphia Eagles received a potentially seismic scare when legendary defensive coordinator Vic Fangio informed the team that he was hanging up his coaching cleats. However, sources close to the matter revealed that Fangio was convinced by the front office to stick around for at least one more season in 2026.

Fangio's temporary retirement appears to have been a mere ruse, as he has since rejoined the Eagles, albeit with an open-ended caveat. The team remains tight-lipped about his current status, leaving some wiggle room for Fangio to reconsider his decision once again.

In the time between Fangio's initial retirement and his eventual return, sources claimed that the Eagles reached out to Jonathan Gannon, a former defensive coordinator under Fangio in Philadelphia. Gannon had recently been hired by the Green Bay Packers as their new defensive coordinator after being let go as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals earlier this offseason.

Additionally, the Eagles were exploring other options by considering reaching out to disgruntled Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who also has a history with the team, having previously served as Eagles' defensive coordinator. However, it appears that Gannon's interest in returning was the top priority for the organization at the time.

Interestingly, Fangio reportedly had second thoughts about retiring after the Eagles won the Super Bowl last season. This annual "retire or not" cycle has become familiar with Eagles fans, who have witnessed a similar pattern unfold during Jason Kelce's lengthy career.
 
πŸ€” I'm kinda surprised that Vic Fangio didn't just stick around already... like, if you're gonna hang up your cleats, commit to it, right? πŸ˜… And now this whole "open-ended caveat" thing is just creating uncertainty... it's like he's playing with fire. πŸ”₯ The Eagles seem pretty invested in getting him back, but I'm not sure why they need to make such a big fuss about it. Is Fangio the real deal or are they just trying to win another ring? πŸ†
 
I'm glad to hear that Vic Fangio is staying on for another year πŸ™πŸΌ. I mean, the guy's been with the team for ages and has done some great things as their DC... but honestly, it feels like we're seeing a revolving door when it comes to defensive coordinators under Pederson. One minute he's leaving, next minute he's back again πŸ˜’. And what's up with all these rumors of the Eagles looking at other guys? Can't they just make it work with Fangio for once? I guess we'll see how it all plays out... πŸ€”
 
whoa, Eagles are crazy about Vic Fangio 🀯... like, one sec he's outta there and the next he's back in πŸ”„. i think they're all just messing around with their fans' emotions at this point πŸ˜‚. the real question is what's gonna happen to Gannon now that he was snatched away from GB? should've gone for Schwartz tho πŸ’―
 
lol what's up w/ Vic Fangio tho? 1 sec he quits coaching and then BAM! He's back in Philly like no time passed 🀯 I feel like he's just trolling us at this point, can't make up his mind πŸ˜‚. Anyways gotta say, I'm glad the Eagles stuck it out with him, I mean who else is gonna coach this team to another Super Bowl win? Not some rookie DC from Green Bay πŸ’Έ. But for real tho, Gannon's a solid choice too, he knows Fangio's system inside out πŸ”’.
 
🀯 the eagles are gonna be stuck in this coach limbo forever lol what's up with these guys πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ anyway did you hear that jim schwartz was like a legit option for them but now it seems like they forgot about him again πŸ™„ & honestly who knows if vic fangio even wants to come back at all he's been on this retire-then-dont-retire thing since we started watching the eagles πŸ•°οΈ
 
awww man... i feel like the eagles' coaching staff is going through so much drama rn 🀯 it's like they're trying to keep us on the edge of our seats! anyway, i'm kinda glad that vic fangio came back, i love how he's still got a bit of an air of mystery around him. and omg can we talk about jason kelce for a sec? 🀩 his career is wild, but it's also so inspiring to see someone you love and admire going through all the ups and downs in their career. i think it's cool that the eagles are keeping things interesting, even if it means they're not giving us any clear answers. either way, i'm just happy to have vic fangio back on board - let's go birds! 🐦πŸ’ͺ
 
OMG 🀯 so like I've got some tea on this whole Fangio situation... apparently he was just trying to keep his options open lol. I mean, the dude's a legend and all but I feel like he's being super strategic about it too. The fact that they reached out to Gannon ASAP suggests they didn't want to lose him to GB πŸ€¦β€β™‚οΈ. And can we talk about how weird it is that Schwartz was even considered? Like, come on Eagles, you know Jim S is all in πŸ™…β€β™‚οΈ. But hey, I guess that's what makes this whole situation so fascinating. The fact that Fangio's 'retirement' cycles every year like a bad rom-com πŸ˜‚. One minute he's gone, the next he's back and still getting paid πŸ’Έ. I'm just here for it, tbh πŸ€³β€β™‚οΈ
 
OMG, I'm freaking out!! 😱 Fangio's drama is SO intense right now! First he retires, then he comes back... and now it seems like the team is trying to figure things out without him 🀯. Gannon joining the team instead of Schwartz just shows you how much they value Fangio's expertise πŸ’‘. I mean, can't we just have some clarity here?! The Eagles' front office must be losing sleep over this... but honestly, who wouldn't want Vic Fangio at the helm again? πŸ€”
 
I'm surprised the Eagles didn't just go ahead and hire Gannon without even bothering to ask Fangio if he was done for good lol. I mean, can you blame them? The guy seems like he's not even sure what he wants anymore. First retirement, then back again... it's like he's playing some kind of game where he gets to say "oh no, I'm retiring!" whenever the team doesn't make it to the playoffs 🀣. Anyway, I guess it's good for Gannon that they didn't push him into the job, but now it's like, is this really what he wants? 😊
 
lol what's up with Vic Fangio just doing a permanent timeout from coaching only to come back again? 🀣 it's like he's on some sort of coaching merry-go-round! 🎠 and now they're looking at Gannon, so I guess that means we'll have a whole new defense to worry about... but honestly, can't they just keep him around forever? πŸ™ƒ wouldn't that be awesome? 🀩
 
omg like i was literally worried about the eagles lol they need fangio like for real i mean he's a legend coach and all but what if they lose him again?? πŸ€¦β€β™‚οΈ anyway so what's going on with jim schwartz? did the browns mess with him or something? and what's with jonathan gannon wanting to come back? was it just the team or what's his deal? πŸ˜•
 
πŸ™„ so now Fangio's back on the scene and we're supposed to believe this whole thing was just a vacation from coaching? 🀣 please, I've seen more convincing stories on a soap opera. And what's up with these "open-ended" caveats? Sounds like the Eagles are trying to keep him on a leash without actually having him committed to anything. πŸ˜’
 
πŸ€” The whole Vic Fangio situation just got me thinking... Like, isn't it crazy that his initial retirement was basically just a way to keep everyone guessing? I mean, can you imagine being the head coach of one of the top teams in the league and just casually announcing your retirement? πŸ™ƒ It's like he wanted to shake things up and create some drama, even if it was just for show. And now that he's back, I'm curious to see how this whole season will play out. Will he stick around or will there be another "retirement" soon? The Eagles are a team that thrives on unpredictability, so you can bet your chips that things won't stay quiet for long ⏰
 
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