The city of PhiladelphiaFor Eagles safety Sydney Brown, the team’s 2023 third-round draft selection, the last two summers have had a significant impact.
Due to his recuperation from an ACL tear, Brown was unable to participate in last year’s training camp and watched from the sidelines. After not being activated until Week 7, Brown spent the rest of the 2024 NFL season playing 12% of the defensive snaps and mostly on special teams.
Whether Brown is selected as the starting free safety this season will determine the course of his career, which seemed bright as a rookie and questionable following last year.
Losing the tournament may mean the end of a long-term relationship with Philadelphia, while winning it could be the beginning of one. Even if he isn’t included in the Eagles’ future plans, getting the job would at least increase his chances of starting for the NFL for a long time.
Whatever occurs, Brown is thankful that he is in a better position than he was last summer and has the chance to finally have a significant influence.
“Yeah, no,” Brown said after Saturday’s practice, “I feel like I’m just doing my job.” I believe you gain respect and trust every single day. I believe that’s my only option. I just concentrate on it. Every day in the system, I am gaining the respect and faith of my teammates, the coaches, the defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and the head coach Nick Sirianni. I feel like I’ll be ready to go when the bullets start flying as long as I just do that every single day.
The 25-year-old safety said that his knee continued to trouble him even after he was cleared to play the previous season. However, following a full offseason of practice, Brown’s confidence has returned.
I believe I’m playing football at a really high level at the moment. “Very good football,” he remarked. About it, I always maintain my humility. All I want to do is grow better every single day. I believe I’m doing so.
In order to prevent Eagles rookie safetyFor the starting position, Brown must perform exceptionally well in preseason games and practices, according to Andrew Mukuba. Mukuba, selected by the Eagles in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, is significantly favored in a close contest.
Brown was the best internal replacement after the Eagles dealt safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans on the opening day of free agency.
However, the Eagles’ selection of Mukuba, who finished the previous season with five interceptions for Texas, implied two things: Fangio believes Mukuba has the ability to start, and he is not sure Brown can play that role.
However, that does not preclude Brown from being hired.
Fangio selects his starting lineup without regard to contract status, draft pedigree, or age. He won’t care about anything else and will start whoever helps Philadelphia’s defense win games.
He will therefore choose Brown to start if, by Week 1, he appears more prepared than Mukuba. The two safeties have shared first-team snaps during three training camp drills, and Fangio has been pleased with their development.
Yes, you simply need to perform well out there. “A lot of the safety position is similar to ILB, where play recognition and instincts are key factors in skill, and Sydney just needs a lot of reps,” Fangio stated on Wednesday. He didn’t begin practicing until October of last year, and by then you’re in game weeks, which means you don’t have many reps or practice much.
Because of his injuries, he didn’t have a fantastic opportunity last year. Hopefully, we’ll see exactly what he can do now. He did great yesterday, had a terrific offseason, and we’ll see how he performs.
While imagining every play while standing in the back of the end zone during last summer’s practices helped Brown understand Fangio’s plan, he claimed that repetition and practice were the best ways for him to learn, and he is now doing that.
Man, it’s incredible. I’m thrilled. I’m thrilled to be a part of this plan. “I’m thrilled to be on the field,” Brown remarked. I was out here last year, I recall. I was running on the other field while they were performing team drills, trying to get my steps in, remain in shape, and prepare so that I could be effective when I returned the next week, week seven.
But so far, it’s been fantastic. I’m thrilled to be healthy, to be attending my first complete training camp since my rookie year, and to simply embrace the team and its culture.
It will be difficult to beat out Mukuba for the start of the season, and it will be even harder to keep the position for the entire year.
I’m glad he’s willing.
We’re just competing with each other every day. That, in my opinion, is the key. Brown added, “I think we’re just learning from each other.” Our games are different. Both of us are fiercely competitive. Additionally, I believe it’s fantastic that we sit next to each other during meetings. We sort of exchange ideas, and I think that’s fantastic.
MORE EAGLES COVERAGE
-
Who are the greatest Eagles of the last 25 years? Our rankings begin
-
Eagles pitch for a new stadium should be squashed immediately
-
Eagles offensive chemistry key to Super Bowl defense despite coaching turnover
-
Eagles offense disappoints with a down day from Jalen Hurts (Day 3 training camp observations)
We appreciate your faith in us to deliver reliable journalism. Please think about subscribing to help us out. You can contact Cayden Steele at [email protected].
