The Philadelphia Eagles have officially moved on from a coach who had been with the organization for five years, and the timing is impossible to ignore.

Just days after he was interview for the same role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Eagles decided to part ways with the longtime assistant, signaling another major change inside the coaching staff following their disappointing playoff exit.

According to multiple league sources, Michael Clay’s dismissal came shortly after his virtual interview with Tampa Bay, a move that immediately raised eyebrows across the league and among Eagles fans.

Clay joined the Eagles’ staff in 2021 under head coach Nick Sirianni and was part of one of the most successful stretches in franchise history, including multiple deep playoff runs and a Super Bowl championship. But while the résumé sparkles, the recent results told a more complicated story.

Philadelphia’s special teams unit finished the 2025 season ranked 14th overall by Pro Football Focus, solid in coverage but inconsistent in returns. Punter Braden Mann stood out as a bright spot, but kicker Jake Elliott endured another uneven year, and the return game struggled to create field-position advantages.

Despite those mixed results, Clay’s interview with Tampa Bay was widely viewed as a lateral move, one that suggested his future in Philadelphia might already be uncertain.

One league insider put it bluntly:

“Once the Eagles let him talk to another team for the same job, the writing was already on the wall.”

Clay’s exit adds to the growing sense of transition inside the NovaCare Complex. With changes already underway on the offensive side of the ball, the Eagles now appear committed to a broader coaching reset as they search for answers after falling short in the postseason.

Fans didn’t waste time reacting. Social media quickly filled with mixed emotions, some thanking Clay for his role during the Super Bowl run, others arguing the special teams unit had plateaued.

“If you’re serious about fixing everything, you can’t keep doing the same things,” one fan wrote. “This was overdue.”

For Clay, the timing may still work in his favor. Tampa Bay is actively searching for a new special teams coordinator after parting ways with Thomas McGaughey, and Clay remains a respected name around the league with championship experience.

For the Eagles, the message is clear: no part of the coaching staff is untouchable anymore.

The reset in Philadelphia is no longer a rumor. It’s happening in real time.