Nick Sirianni says Eagles staff is likely moving on without longtime O-line coach Jeff Stoutland

PHOENIX — Don’t expect Jeff Stoutland to return to the Eagles in a different role in 2026, according to Nick Sirianni.

At his news conference during the NFL meetings Monday, Sirianni appeared to shoot down the prospect of the former longtime offensive line coach returning to the team in a new capacity. His comments differed from those of Lane Johnson, who said on the Fitz and Whit podcast on March 18 that he thought Stoutland would be “around some in some capacity this year. So it’s not like he’s going a long ways away.”

However, Sirianni both expressed his appreciation for Stoutland and stressed that the organization is focused on the future with its new staff.

“Obviously, we moved on with our staff and really enjoying working with these guys,” Sirianni said. “Obviously, love the guys that are no longer part of our staff, and always will have a relationship with those guys, with everything they’ve done for our football team. But right now, we’re just focused on the upcoming year with this staff.

“There’s so many steps that you have to go through to get yourself ready for OTAs, to get yourself ready for training camp, to get yourself ready for phase one. And that’s what we’re in the process [of] right now, really focusing on that. And also, at this particular point, watching players with the upcoming draft coming up, and that’s where our focus is.”

Stoutland, 64, oversaw the Eagles’ offensive line for 13 seasons before he announced his departure in February. He also added run game coordinator duties to his responsibilities beginning in 2018.

But The Inquirer reported in January that Stoutland’s jurisdiction over the run game had lessened as the 2025 season progressed and the unit headlined by Saquon Barkley struggled to match its 2024 dominance. Although the Eagles wanted to keep Stoutland as offensive line coach in 2026, even in the aftermath of Sean Mannion’s hiring as offensive coordinator, he likely was not going to maintain his role as the run game coordinator with the impending scheme change.

So, Stoutland stepped aside, and the Eagles hired Chris Kuper as the offensive line coach and Ryan Mahaffey as both the tight ends coach and run game coordinator.

Stoutland spoke publicly for the first time since his departure from the Eagles on The SZN podcast hosted by Nick Foles and Evan Moore on Friday. Like Sirianni, Stoutland also denied Johnson’s comments about his return to the team in a new role this season.

“I have no idea,” Stoutland said. “I haven’t had a conversation with anybody about anything like that. So I don’t know.

“I think there’s some point in your life where you kind of know [it’s time to leave]. You kind of just know. And I think that I reached that point. I was in a position where a lot of things changed. Things were happening, things were taking place. And I’m like, ‘Wait a second. This is what I’ve talked to the other players about all the time.’ I just felt like it was that time [to leave] and I haven’t looked back since.”

Sirianni took a page from Howie Roseman’s playbook while discussing A.J. Brown on Monday.

Like Roseman did on Sunday, Sirianni responded, “A.J. is an Eagle,” to a pair of questions about the star receiver and his future in Philadelphia. When asked specifically if Brown would be in the building on April 20, the first day of the Eagles’ offseason workout program, and through the duration of organized team activities, Sirianni avoided answering the question directly.

“Nothing’s changed there,” Sirianni said. “A.J. is an Eagle. Nothing’s changed from the last time I spoke to you guys. And yeah, that’s where we are.”

Sirianni repeated a version of those lines when asked how he goes about building an offense this offseason without the guarantee of Brown being on the roster. He expanded on his response by offering his general approach to constructing the offense and how that changes with a new scheme and a new offensive play caller in Mannion.

» READ MORE: Howie Roseman announced an edge rusher signing to kick off the NFL meetings. He’s probably not done at that position.

“You’re going through all the [processes] that you go through each and every year,” Sirianni said. “It’s a little different this year, because with the scheme change that we’re making, you don’t do as much of, ‘Hey, we’re going to break down every single play that we ran last year,’ right?

“So it’s just a little bit different of a process. But the process is getting ourselves ready for OTAs, bringing the staff together, everybody learning the new pieces, the new job descriptions of what we need to do within it. And that’s what we’re focused on.”

Regardless of Brown’s future, Roseman has bolstered the receiving corps since the start of the new league year by adding Hollywood Brown, the team’s prospective third receiver, and Elijah Moore, a depth player who will compete for a job in training camp. Sirianni said he has “always been a fan of those guys and their game” and stressed the importance of depth at every position during a long, injury-riddled season.

But if A.J. Brown isn’t on the team in 2026, DeVonta Smith would likely be primed to earn a greater share of the targets in the passing game. Since the Eagles acquired Brown from the Tennessee Titans in 2022, he has led the team in targets every season. Smith, who last held the team high in targets in his rookie season of 2021, has ranked second in that span.

When asked if Smith was ready to step into the WR1 role if Brown departs, Sirianni didn’t play into the hypothetical situation.

“Both those players are phenomenal players that have contributed to a lot of wins over the past four years here,” Sirianni said. “DeVonta, A.J., I think we’ve said that. I know I’ve said that a lot. It’s not like we have a 1A, 1B. We’ve got two ones there. And obviously, DeVonta has had great seasons since he’s been here. He’s [a] competitive, great football player. Love everything about him.”

With the beginning of the offseason program looming, Jihaad Campbell isn’t expected to participate in any on-field activities before training camp.

Vic Fangio told NBC Sports Philadelphia two weeks ago that Campbell is dealing with an ongoing shoulder injury that will likely sideline him for the next several months. Campbell, the 31st overall pick out of Alabama in 2025, has been dealing with a shoulder injury since college and underwent surgery ahead of the draft.

The Inquirer also reported that Campbell had another shoulder surgery shortly after the conclusion of his rookie season.

Following Nakobe Dean’s departure to the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, Campbell is poised to step into the full-time starting role at inside linebacker alongside Zack Baun. Sirianni spoke highly of Campbell as he progresses through his rehab and prepares to assume a prominent job in Fangio’s defense.

“This is a guy who’s just relentless in his pursuit,” Sirianni said. “He loves football, and that was very obvious through the draft process last year, throughout spending a year with him. He loves football. He wants to be the best football player he possibly can be. And the way he attacks being on the field is the same way he attacks his rehab and everything like that to get himself healthy.”

Sirianni confirmed an ESPN report that the Eagles will travel to Foxborough, Mass., for a joint practice session or sessions against the New England Patriots during training camp.

This development in the offseason schedule comes as Brown has been linked to the Patriots in a potential trade. The Eagles last linked up with the Patriots for a joint practice at their Foxborough training facility in the second week of the 2024 preseason.

The preseason schedule will be released in mid-May along with the regular season slate.