It's rare that the Philadelphia Eagles are able to retain coaches following a successful season. While they didn't advance deep into the NFL Playoffs, the Birds have long endured the endless cycle of coaches being picked off, and that very almost happened again with Michael Clay.
Clay, who has been the teams' special teams coordinator since 2021, was granted permission to interview with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in what would've been a lateral move. Instead, he elected to stay in the City of Brotherly Love, agreeing to a new deal, per Ian Rapoport.
Regardless of how you feel about the 2025 season, the coaching staff, or even the players, being able to retain a coach who is not only sought after, but has performed excellently during his run with Philadelphia, certainly counts for something.
Clay has helped push the Birds to two Super Bowl appearances, winning one. His 2023 unit ranked first in DVOA, while one year later, Jake Elliott broke franchise postseason records. The Eagles ended the 2025 campaign 4th in average punt distance, while returns soon became an area of opportunity.
It's nice to see the Eagles maintain some continuity in what has otherwise been an era of short coaching stints and rushes to hire replacements.
