Jason Michael is entering his first year as the Philadelphia Eagles' tight ends coach after spending the 2019-20 seasons in the same role with the Indianapolis Colts, where he worked under Eagles head coach and former Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni.
During his time in Indianapolis, Colts tight ends combined to rank fifth in the AFC among their position group in receptions (168, 10th in the NFL) and receiving yards (1,862, ninth in the NFL).
In 2020, Michael helped coach Indianapolis to the 10th-ranked offense (378.1 ypg) in the league as the Colts finished 11-5 and earned a spot in the postseason. He also guided the tight ends to a productive year in 2019, with Jack Doyle earning his second Pro Bowl honor after starting all 16 games for the first time in his career and totaling 43 receptions for 448 yards and four touchdowns.
Michael served as the tight ends coach for the Arizona Cardinals during the 2018 season, when Ricky Seals-Jones posted career highs in receptions (34) and receiving yards (343).
Prior to Arizona, Michael spent four seasons on the Tennessee Titans' coaching staff working as the quarterbacks coach (2016-17) and offensive coordinator (2014-15). He played an instrumental role developing quarterback Marcus Mariota, whom the team selected with the second-overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
From 2015-16, Mariota ranked first in the NFL in red zone passer rating (114.6) after accounting for 33 red zone touchdown passes with zero interceptions. In 2016, Mariota was voted AFC Offensive Player of the Month for November after producing a 115.0 rating and also threw multiple touchdowns in a franchise-best eight consecutive games. As a rookie in 2015, he became the first player in NFL history to record a perfect passer rating (158.3) in their starting debut.
As offensive coordinator in 2015, the Titans offense established a team record with 12 different players catching at least one touchdown. Additionally, tight end Delanie Walker earned his first career Pro Bowl selection after leading all NFL tight ends in receptions (94) and producing a career-high in receiving yards (1,088).
Michael coached the San Diego Chargers' tight ends from 2011-13 on a staff that also included Sirianni and Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. In that span, Michael guided Antonio Gates to the fourth-most receptions (190) among NFL tight ends, including 77 catches in 2013, when the Chargers ranked fifth in total offense (393.3 ypg). He also helped Gates earn a Pro Bowl nod in 2011.
Michael spent two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (2009-10) as an offensive assistant and worked with the team's quarterbacks in 2010. Before joining the 49ers, he coached the tight ends at the University of Tennessee (2008), where he began his career as a graduate assistant with the secondary and special teams (2003-04).
Between stints at the University of Tennessee, Michael was a quarterbacks/quality control coach with the New York Jets in 2006, helping Chad Pennington earn Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors. He started coaching in the NFL in a quality control role with the Oakland Raiders during the 2005 season.
Michael was a quarterback who began his college playing career at Army before transferring to Western Kentucky, where he was a two-time captain. As a senior in 2002, he led the Hilltoppers to the NCAA I-AA title and was named the school's Male Athlete of the Year.
A native of Louisa, KY, Michael earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering technology from Western Kentucky and was named a I-AA Athletic Directors Academic All-Star and a Second Team Verizon Academic All-District IV honoree.
Michael is married to his wife, Jamie. The couple has a son, Wyatt, and a daughter, Charlie.
