It’s Super Bowl weekend, which also means only two days remain for the Philadelphia Eagles to be reigning Super Bowl champions. This week’s Eight Eagles Thoughts could have been filled with nostalgia from that week in New Orleans. There were tales of the Saturday night speeches in which Saquon Barkley told his teammates, in so many words, that the Kansas City Chiefs would not beat them. Or the unforgettable game, with Vic Fangio’s defense making the case for a collective MVP that went to Jalen Hurts following “The Dagger.” There are memories from the postgame celebration in the locker room at the Superdome where the waft of victory cigar smoke greeted anyone who entered, while they also dodged champagne spraying through the air with “Yes Indeed” by Lil Baby as the next song up in the soundtrack.
But on Wednesday night, offensive line coach/run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland announced he was leaving the organization where he won two Super Bowl rings — a reminder of how quickly life moves on in the NFL. There have not even been a full 365 days elapsed since the Eagles earned their second Lombardi Trophy, and the fans who filled Broad Street for the parade are calling into talk radio (and submitting mailbag questions to The Athletic) about a closed Super Bowl window.
The window is not closed, but those tasked with keeping it open are changing. That’s especially apparent on the offensive coaching staff.
With that in mind, let’s get to thoughts on Stoutland’s departure, capped off by Seahawks-Patriots nuggets to consider when watching the game Sunday night at parties that will presumably have a different feel in Philadelphia than this time last year.
1. It’s difficult to view Stoutland’s departure any other way than a major loss for the Eagles. Stoutland earned his reputation as a venerable offensive line coach, and the success was impossible to argue: 13 seasons, most of which concluded with the Eagles considered among the best offensive lines in the NFL; five linemen who earned All-Pro honors a combined 15 times; 27 Pro Bowl invitations, including one every season; three potential Hall of Famers; dozens of lives influenced, with his players earning over hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts during his tenure.
Change is inevitable in the NFL. Everybody is renting the space. But the Eagles will miss Stoutland.
It also did not help that the ending was abrupt. My understanding is this was Stoutland’s call, but it reached a point at which Stoutland wanted to leave — and announce it on his terms. This was not a choreographed farewell with the organization. And it’s not hard to read into Stoutland announcing it this way as a signal that he was ready to move on following a challenging year for the Eagles’ offensive line and run game, with scheme changes upcoming.
The Eagles wanted Stoutland to return. The role was going to be adjusted (more on this in the next item). Given how Stoutland has approached coaching for four decades, one can understand why he’d step away if the situation no longer felt desirable or welcoming enough. The personality dynamics that apply to a locker room also apply to a coaching staff, and it’s a shame that such a storied tenure with the Eagles ended in a manner that comes off as abrupt, if not messy. It does not change his legacy in Philadelphia, but it leaves lingering questions about the conditions of the exit rather than only the accomplishments of his career.
2. It’s fair to distinguish between the responsibilities of the offensive line coach and the run game coordinator. I’d stop far short of marginalizing Stoutland as a run game coordinator, considering the evidence is present that he can coordinate an elite rushing offense. Did you see how productive they were in 2024 — or most of the seasons since he became run game coordinator in 2018? During that period, only the Baltimore Ravens have rushed for more yards than the Eagles or have a greater rush success rate. They are No. 3 in the NFL in yards before contact per rush during that period, too. There were issues in 2025 and differing views for how to best solve those issues, but Stoutland knows the run game. Yet the reason it’s fair to delineate the two is that the Eagles’ scheme is evolving with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, and if it will include run concepts that differ from those favored by Stoutland, it’s reasonable to want to bring in people to implement the scheme. That’s all logical — especially if there’s expected to be more under center and motion usage in this offense.
After all, a change in scheme was how Stoutland was once hired in the first place. But it’s hard to believe the next offensive line coach will have the developmental track record of Stoutland. The successor will arrive during a year when the Eagles are expected to invest in the offensive line early in the draft on a line whose five starters have had only Stoutland as their NFL offensive line coach.
Stoutland once replaced Howard Mudd — another iconic offensive line coach. Stoutland had no NFL credentials on his resume at the time. He’s earned his reputation over 13 years. The next hire will have enormous shoes to fill. Stoutland showed how that can happen.
3. As integral as Stoutland has been in the development of so many players, it’s the players who deserve the most credit. Stoutland’s work in building Jordan Mailata from a rugby player who had never played a snap of football into one of the best offensive linemen in the world is often cited, but it’s Mailata who put in the work and possesses the tools. He deserves the credit. Same with Lane Johnson. Jason Kelce put in the work to rebuild his career after the 2016 season. It can sometimes be conflated as a Stoutland production, but it’s important to recognize that the “ball of clay” analogy is not literal. The players need to make it happen.
Where Stoutland deserves unending credit is that he has proven he can maximize whatever talent the player possesses. Mailata and Johnson are cited the most. But think about how many players have had the best seasons of their careers with Stoutland — and it surpasses their production before they arrived or after they left. Look at Brandon Brooks, who said Stoutland took him from being a “good player to the best at my position.” Mekhi Becton. Evan Mathis. Allen Barbre. Halapoulivaati Vaitai. The list goes on. Stoutland said a player must have “critical factors” — a proprietary set of tools Stoutland seeks. If the player has those critical factors and the willingness to be coached, chances are they’ll fulfill their potential by Stoutland.
Is there anything more you can ask from a position coach?
Consider this: In April 2025, the 13 offensive linemen drafted during Stoutland’s tenure had earned or were under contract for a combined $691 million. And that figure did not even include free agents who came to the Eagles (such as Brooks and Becton) or rookies last season. There’s a reason why his players call it “Stoutland University” — and why Philadelphia is a rare market to mourn the exit of an offensive line coach. Stoutland is a rare coach.
Jeff Stoutland helped turn Jordan Mailata from a rugby player into one of the NFL’s top offensive linemen. (Eric Hartline / Imagn Images)
4. Beyond the teaching and the coaching — watching Stoutland at practice is a treat — a major part of the loyalty Stoutland earned from his players is the care and love he exhibited. He was present for Brooks and Johnson during particularly challenging moments in their lives. He believed in Kelce when it was hard to find others in the building who did. He’s helped journeymen find confidence because of his sheer belief in them.
“In my darkest hours as a Philadelphian, Stout was the one who believed in me,” Kelce said.
During a conversation with Stoutland in 2023, when Johnson was the Eagles’ Man of the Year candidate, he explained how he spends more time with his linemen than with his own family. “They become my family,” he said. And he treats them accordingly.
It’s one thing when that happens with franchise icons — the types of players who earn retirement speeches and gush about Stoutland. But it resonated in 2024 when Fred Johnson described this phenomenon.
“When I got here, I was so hard-headed, I didn’t want to listen to nobody — especially Stout,” Fred Johnson said. “And Stout said, ‘I’m not going to give up on you. I’m not going to quit on you.’ And that’s what I appreciate him the most for. Because I was on the way out of the league when I got in.”
Stoutland’s response when this was raised to him revealed what might be his “secret sauce” — something even he admitted.
“I don’t know if some of these guys were ever spoken to that way, or were ever shown that you could be this, you really could, but it requires unbelievable effort, unbelievable detail in the stuff that I’m coaching,” Stoutland said. “I told him, ‘Listen, I need you to trust me and not be offended when I coach you. I’m not against you. I love you. I want you to be the best.’ And I think once we had that mutual agreement, he kind of took off.”
Some players need to see how much you know. Some players need to see how much you care. For Stoutland, he offers both.
Or, in the Eagles’ case, he offered both. The fact that it’s past tense remains jarring for those who are close to him.
5. The Stoutland exit is the most earth-shattering change to the coaching staff this offseason, but get ready for more turnover on the staff. The Eagles are hiring Ryan Mahaffey as run game coordinator/tight ends coach, according to a league source. (Mahaffey had most recently been the wide receivers coach in Green Bay.) As you know by now, Stoutland was the run game coordinator last season. Jason Michael was the tight ends coach, so he’s presumably being replaced. It sounds like the same is going to happen at quarterbacks coach, even if the Eagles are mum about Scot Loeffler’s status. (The Eagles remain mum on who’s out until the staff is finalized.)
Time will tell about other offensive assistants. Mannion was granted autonomy to evolve the offense, and that includes rebuilding the coaching staff. If you were concerned that the offense won’t change, the staff upheaval is at least evidence that Nick Sirianni is sincere about empowering the new offensive coordinator. Whether it’s a productive change remains to be seen. But it’s apparent through the actions of the past few weeks that the Eagles’ decision-makers think the scheme/coaching played a factor in the offense’s underachievement in 2025, and it will not be status quo in 2026.
6. Milton Williams had a chance to win back-to-back Super Bowls with the reverse Chris Long/LeGarrette Blount, going from the Eagles to the Patriots. Williams signed a four-year, $104 million contract with New England after four years with the Eagles, emerging from a third-round pick to a key contributor who had two sacks in the Super Bowl. He said this week that the Eagles never made him an offer to keep him. There’s some context required. The Eagles knew Williams would sign a big contract and were not going to pay him near market value with Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo returning. The lack of an offer should not be interpreted as their evaluation of Williams as a player.
Williams was well-regarded in the building and was a respected player on the Eagles’ defense. (Just watch the Super Bowl film from last year!) This was an amicable split. And I frankly don’t think the Eagles made a mistake or an error in judgment, even with how well Williams is playing in New England. They had a clear succession plan for the position. They received high-level production from their defensive tackles. There was an understanding that the Eagles couldn’t keep the three prominent defensive free agents (Williams, Zack Baun, Josh Sweat). They re-signed Baun and let the other two walk. Sweat, another Super Bowl standout, was not adequately replaced until the midseason acquisition of Jaelan Phillips. There could be more of a gripe about his departure.
My guess is that internally, there’s a tip of a cap to Williams this weekend and not a feeling of remorse. This is not one to lament.
7. Christian Elliss is a different story. Elliss has turned into a valuable starter for the Patriots, with a critical forced fumble in the AFC Championship Game. Elliss was with the Eagles (he had been cut four different times and bounced between the practice squad and active roster) and was waived in 2023 to make room for Shaq Leonard following his first career start for the Eagles. It was an ill-fated transaction. I understand what the Eagles sought with Leonard, who was a shell of himself in an Eagles uniform, but they did not need to cut Elliss to open the roster spot. There were other options for the Eagles at the time, other than a cost-controlled special teams contributor who had earned a start. It was a misevaluation on the Eagles’ part.
The fact that he’s turned into a solid player with the Patriots is a credit to Elliss and how the Patriots viewed him, but it also brings to mind a point Howie Roseman has made in the past: It’s essential that a front office properly evaluates its own roster even before it evaluates other rosters. Something that should keep the Eagles up at night is misevaluating somebody in their building. Big picture, it worked out fine for the Eagles because of the emergence of Zack Baun in 2024 to go along with Nakobe Dean and the others on the linebacker depth chart. The Eagles are in their best spot at linebacker in years. But watching Elliss on Sunday should be a valuable lesson for Roseman and the front office.
8. Looking for an idea of some of the concepts that you might see in the Eagles’ offense? Pay close attention to the Seahawks on Sunday. Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko both worked with Mannion in Minnesota, and Kubiak comes from the Mike Shanahan coaching tree with roots that have influenced Mannion’s career. The Seahawks finished No. 2 in percentage of snaps from under center. The only team with more? The Los Angeles Rams, with Sean McVay. The Packers finished No. 12. The Eagles were No. 26 this season. The Seahawks were No. 3 in under-center play-action, too. They were middle of the pack in motion rate. Mannion has a number of different influences (and presumably his own ideas, too) and he’ll need to cater to the Eagles’ personnel, but this will be an intriguing Eagles connection to monitor during the Super Bowl. It might also offer glimpses of a scheme that won’t have Stoutland helping to install and coach.