Less than a day after mutually parting ways with the Miami Dolphins, coach Vic Fangio signed a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles to become their new defensive coordinator. He will be tasked with rebuilding a defense that is coming off a meltdown late in the 2023 season.

Between 1986 and 2023, Fangio has worked for ten NFL teams, including a three-year stint as the Broncos’ head coach from 2019 to 2021. He spent the 2022 season in Philadelphia as a consultant before taking the defensive coordinator position in Miami.

Though Miami was most notable for its high-flying offense, the Dolphins were credible on defense, allowing more points to opponents than average but less yards per game across the league. Fangio has never been a member of a Super Bowl-winning team, but at this point in his career, he is a steady hand and already has knowledge of Philadelphia’s system.

For several years, the Eagles have been known for their solid defense, but the team entered a tailspin in the latter half of the regular season this year. Once pegged as a serious Super Bowl contender, Philadelphia transformed into a highly speculative playoff bust in the span of a few months.

Despite beginning the season 10-1 and making the playoffs, the team’s defense finished 30th in the league in points allowed. Similar defensive stats consistently placed the Eagles near the very bottom of the league.

With the postseason looming, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni relieved former defense coordinator Sean Desai of his play-calling duties and replaced him with Matt Patricia. The situation only grew worse. Combined with a collapsing, injury-riddled offense, the Eagles went 1-6 to end the season and got knocked out in the Wild Card round by the Buccaneers. Neither of the team’s defensive play-callers will rejoin the team this season.

Fangio’s second stint in Philadelphia will allow him to move closer to his family in Pennsylvania, a likely motivating factor for accepting the position so quickly. But while the change may simply be convenient for Fangio, Sirianni’s fate with the turbulent Eagles may be determined by this decision.

The NFL is back… sort of.

The NFL preseason kicks off on Thursday night with the annual Hall of Fame game at Tom Benson Field in Canton, Ohio. It has been 25 years since the last time that the Atlanta Falcons have played in the Hall of Fame game. Their opponents will be Joe Flacco and the Denver Broncos.

It has been three years since the last time the Falcons have won a playoff game. For head coach Dan Quinn and star quarterback Matt Ryan, it has been nothing but struggles for their Falcons since their heartbreaking loss against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

The Broncos are a very different team from one year ago, let alone from when they won the Super Bowl four seasons ago. After finishing 6-10 one season ago, the Broncos fired head coach Vance Joseph and replaced him with Chicago Bears defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio. The Broncos also traded away last seasons starting quarterback Case Keenum and traded for veteran Baltimore Ravens quarterback and Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco.

One player that the Broncos will be without is tight end Jake Butt who continues to struggle to be healthy in the NFL.

“You get concerned, obviously,” Fangio said. “Jake keeps having these little potholes, he starts feeling good and then something doesn’t feel so good … the important thing is keeping his spirits up and see where it develops and where it goes.”

The Falcons will be without star receiver Julio Jones throughout the entire pre-season as Jones feels that he does not need pre-season game action to get ready for the upcoming season.

“For me, it’s more so I’m a veteran; I’ve been doing this,” Jones said. “I don’t need the preseason to get ready. It’s a mentality thing. As long as I get my reps in practice — I practice the way I play. Once I get my reps in, I’ll be ready to go.”

Kick-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST.

The Denver Broncos hired Vic Fangio as their new head coach on Wednesday. ESPN reported Fangio received a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth year.

Fangio Hired On Four-Year Deal

The Broncos, not lost in the offseason of Sean McVay prodigy, previously narrowed down the competition to the Chicago Bears defensive coordinator or Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak.

Fangio has led Chicago’s defense since 2015. He took the defense from No. 31 and turned them into the top defense, and is the reason the team won the NFC North and almost reached the divisional round if not for the “double-doink” kick.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

The 60-year-old had interviewed for the Chicago head coaching job last season but lost it to Matt Nagy. Though Fangio has never had a head coaching job, he’s led multiple defensive turnarounds with the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers.

Fangio is the first Bears defensive coordinator since Buddy Ryan to leave the franchise for a head coaching position. While Fangio doesn’t leave after a Super Bowl win like Ryan, he has set up a young defense that’s primed for a title run. Fangio first interviewed with the Chargers in 1997 for a head coaching job.

The Broncos finished this season with the 13th-ranked defense. However, Fangio will also have to fix the offense. Denver was ranked 24th in the league and has no long-term quarterback. This year’s Draft is notoriously lacking in quarterback prospects and the Broncos have the No. 10 pick.

Bruce Arians, the new Tampa Bay Buccaneers hire, was not considered for the Denver position. Arians had previously turned around the Arizona defense and had fixed a situation similar to Denver’s before stepping down last year.