Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz intends on taking a year off from coaching when his contract expires at the end of this season, according to a report from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Schwartz, 54, has told those close to them that he will contemplate retirement after a 32-year coaching career, including 28 in the NFL and a Super Bowl win three years ago with the Eagles.
One of the NFL's most respected defensive coaches, Schwartz is still thought highly of by the Eagles, who previously approached him about an extension. But after dealing with multiple recent hip and eye surgeries, Schwartz believes it's the right time for him to step away from the daily grind, at least in the short term, per sources.
Schwartz is an accomplished defensive coordinator with a quality history of results when he has just focused on the defense. His DVOA rankings, since 2007:
| Year | DVOA rank |
| 2007 (Titans) | 1 |
| 2008 (Titans) | 5 |
| 2014 (Bills) | 2 |
| 2016 (Eagles) | 4 |
| 2017 (Eagles) | 5 |
| 2018 (Eagles) | 15 |
| 2019 (Eagles) | 12 |
Understandably, the Eagles' defense hasn't been elite when their secondary has routinely become depleted each season, and Schwartz has been handicapped by roster holes otherwise, notably at linebacker. To finish in the top half of the league in DVOA in both 2018 and 2019 despite the Eagles' injury issues was no small feat. In 2020, the Eagles are currently ranked 17th in DVOA.
Schwartz wasn't perfect. There were reasonable quibbles with some of his defensive philosophies. But ultimately, his results speak for themselves, and he did a good job in Philadelphia in the five years he has been here.
The search for a new defensive coordinator is likely already underway. We'll propose some possible replacements soon.
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