Former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski didn’t hold back while defending his longtime friend, Vic Fangio, who faced criticism from some Dolphins players after he left Miami to take the defensive coordinator job with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles announced the hire three days after Fangio and Miami mutually parted ways following one season together, with the Dolphins rating twenty ninth in total defense.
During an appearance on Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie’s 94 WIP Philadelphia radio show Tuesday, Jaworski was asked about NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus’ recent claim that some Miami players didn’t have a positive relationship with Fangio — and said those players are only “whining” because they didn’t need to put within the work.
“Coaches coach. I even have connections as well around this league and I hear one other side of that story, that there have been some players on that defense that didn’t need to work,” Jaworski said. “Didn’t need to put the time in, didn’t need to put the trouble in, didn’t have the desire to make the commitment to achieve success.
“Guys wish to party at night and South Beach is absolutely a fantastic place to party. And Vic tried to get those guys and push those guys to change into harder staff and higher athletes, and more committed to their team. And he couldn’t get through to those guys. Those were the blokes that Vic was pushing they usually’re the blokes which can be whining without delay.”
Jaworski defended Fangio after Rosenhaus’ — who represents plenty of Dolphins players — claimed there are some players who didn’t gel with the coach.
“There have been quite a number of players on the team that didn’t necessarily get together with Fangio,” Rosenhaus said last week. “And so it wasn’t a fantastic relationship with most of the players.
“There have been some guys that loved him, but there was quite a number of that didn’t. It definitely wasn’t a unanimous positive relationship.”
Jaworski explained that his relationship with Fangio goes back to the mid-Eighties when Fangio was an unpaid assistant with the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars, and he praised the brand new Eagles coach for his dedication to the sport.
“You won’t find a greater man, a football lifer, a man dedicated to his career, a fantastic designed, not an ego that impacts anyone else,” Jaworski said.
Fangio returned to Philadelphia — he’s also a Dunmore, Pennsylvania native — after serving as a consultant for the Eagles in 2022.
Some Dolphins players appeared to have a good time the news on social media.
Jevon Holland, a third-year safety, posted a video of him kicking rocks, while rookie cornerback Cam Smith shared an unlocked emoji.
All-Pro wideout Tyreek Hill said Fangio’s exit “was shocking,” but hinted there was discourse between Fangio and his defense.
“I respected him quite a bit,” Hill said on a Twitch stream, adding that Fangio was “old fashioned” and reminded him of his former Chiefs coach, Andy Reid. “I’m cool with that sort of stuff… I’m not surprised though if he’s gonna land in Philly because people talk across the league, behind closed doors it was like, ‘Hey, Vic he’s attempting to get to Philly anyhow.’
“I learned quite a bit from him, though it was quick and he’s really a guru at defense. He’s just got to learn find out how to slot in along with his players.”
