The door could be cracked open to the Giants competing again soon in the NFC East if they do their part.
Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland announced Wednesday that he is not returning to the organization that lifted the Lombardi Trophy one year ago.
“Philadelphia, I’ve decided my time coaching with the Eagles has come to an end,” Stoutland posted on social media. “When I arrived here in 2013, I did not know what I was signing up for. I quickly learned what this city demands. But more importantly, what it gives back. The past 13 years have been the great privilege of my coaching career. I didn’t just work here, I became one of you. Stout out.”
This is a major development for the Giants for a few reasons:
For one, John Harbaugh hasn’t hired an offensive line coach under Giants new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy yet. The Eagles would not be obligated to let Stoutland out of his contract for a lateral move, but Harbaugh has to make the call anyway.
Even if the Giants can’t get Stoutland, though, the former Eagles O-line coach and run game coordinator has been a huge part of Philadelphia’s dominance of the Giants in recent years.
The Giants are 6-18-1 in the NFC East record in GM Joe Schoen’s four years running the team. That includes a 3-14 record against the Eagles and Dallas Cowboys combined.
As a franchise, the Giants have lost four of their last 20, eight of their last 10 and three of last four to Philly. Stoutland has worked for the Eagles since 2013, so he’s been a key piece of all of that Eagles dominance in the former rivalry.
The Giants also are 2-16 in their last 18 games against the Cowboys and 1-9 in their last 10, so it’s not just the Eagles that the Giants hope to see slide.
But Stoutland’s departure doesn’t just eliminate a great coach from Philly’s staff. It also reveals dysfunction in the City of Brotherly Love that could create more of a downtown for the team.
Stoutland left because Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and recently fired offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo stripped Stoutland of his run game coordinator responsibilities midway through last season, per ESPN.
Separately, Philly defensive coordinator Vic Fangio also considered retirement this offseason, although he reportedly has decided to stick with the team at least for one more season.
Regardless, for the Giants, this now means two NFC East head coaches are on the hot seat in 2026.
Sirianni, despite winning a Super Bowl in 2025, could be in hot water if the Eagles don’t right their ship. And Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn will be feeling the pressure after receiving the latitude to basically fire his entire staff and still stick around.
The Dallas Cowboys typically are more patient with head coaches than the media and public expect them to be, but if coach Brian Schottenheimer’s second season goes poorly enough for that team to finish last in the division, anything is possible there, too.
Not that the Giants will find anything easy to accomplish as Harbaugh begins to tear down parts of the Giants and try to build the whole back up. Not that they’ll immediately dominate their division in 2026.
The Eagles and Cowboys still have more talent on their rosters.
Stoutland’s departure from Philly is one of several signs and developments in the past months that should begin to level the playing field, though. Now it’s just up to the Giants to get and stay healthy and get better players themselves.
