Mike Caldwell interviewing with Eagles again but for a different job

Former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker and assistant coach Mike Caldwell, who recently interviewed for the defensive coordinator position, is now in discussions with the Eagles again, this time for the linebacker coach role, according to a report by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Friday.

Caldwell had previously interviewed for the defensive coordinator vacancy earlier in the week, but the position was ultimately filled by Vic Fangio, who joined the Eagles after parting ways with the Miami Dolphins.

The Eagles’ linebackers coach position was held by D.J. Eliot this past year, marking his first NFL coaching job after spending 24 years coaching at various levels, most recently at Temple University in 2022. Eliot replaced Nick Rallis, who served as Nick Sirianni’s linebackers coach in 2021 and 2022 before transitioning to become Jonathan Gannon’s defensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals this past season.

Additionally, it was revealed on Friday that former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry is also interviewing with the Eagles for a position on Fangio’s staff, possibly for the same role. Barry has a background in coaching linebackers, having played the position at both Michigan and USC, and coaching linebackers during his tenure as a coordinator. He previously worked with Sirianni during their time with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2013 under head coach Mike McCoy, alongside Frank Reich, Shane Steichen, and Jason Michael.

The Eagles’ linebackers struggled collectively during the previous season, as none of them ranked among the top 50 off-ball linebackers in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus’s grading system. As of now, the only linebackers under contract for the 2024 season are Nakobe Dean, who missed a significant portion of the year due to foot injuries, and Ben VanSumeren, an undrafted rookie who saw limited playing time late in the season.

Mike Caldwell, 52, most recently spent two years on the coaching staff of the Jacksonville Jaguars under his former Eagles teammate, Doug Pederson. However, the Jaguars’ entire defensive coaching staff was let go after the team lost five of its last six games, conceding an average of 29 points in those defeats.

Caldwell’s coaching career began when Andy Reid hired him as an entry-level quality control coach in 2008, subsequently promoting him to assistant linebackers coach in 2010 and then linebackers coach in 2011. Following Reid’s departure after the 2012 season, Caldwell joined Bruce Arians’ staff in Arizona as the inside linebackers coach, working under defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, whom he had previously collaborated with during the 2012 season with the Eagles.

When Bowles became the head coach of the New York Jets in 2015, Caldwell accompanied him as the assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach. Following Bowles’ dismissal after the 2018 season, both Bowles and Caldwell reunited with Arians in Tampa Bay, where Caldwell earned his first Super Bowl ring when the Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl LV after the 2020 season.

Pederson provided Caldwell with his first opportunity as a defensive coordinator in 2022, during which Jacksonville’s defense ranked 12th in the league. In the subsequent season, the Jaguars’ defense was ranked 17th in the NFL.

Caldwell began his NFL playing career as a third-round pick for the Cleveland Browns in 1993, where he spent three seasons under head coach Bill Belichick. He then played one season with the Baltimore Ravens and another with the Arizona Cardinals before joining the Eagles under head coach Ray Rhodes in 1998.

During his four-year tenure with the Eagles, one under Ray Rhodes and three under Andy Reid, Caldwell started 29 games, recorded three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and five sacks. He concluded his NFL playing career with single-season stints with the Chicago Bears in 2002 and the Carolina Panthers in 2003.