Eagles Sign Marcus Epps: What Does the Reunion Truly Mean?
The Philadelphia Eagles are bringing back a familiar face as the team is reportedly signing veteran safety Marcus Epps, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Epps was recently released by the New England Patriots during final cuts after he requested to be let go.
Now the 29-year-old safety will return to the City of Brotherly Love, although the exact terms of the signing aren’t clear just yet. The Eagles don’t currently have an opening on the 53-man roster, but they do have one opening remaining on their practice squad.
Regardless of where Epps lands on Philadelphia’s roster, he’ll provide insurance given the uncertainties in the safety room. While Reed Blankenship is an established starter, both Sydney Brown and Drew Mukuba are inexperienced.
Brown appears to be the favorite to start alongside Blankenship in Week 1, although he has just six career starts in the NFL. Mukuba is obviously a rookie and didn’t practice on Wednesday, as he continues to deal with a groin injury.
Despite signing with the Eagles in late August, Epps could be active as early as Week 1. While Epps doesn’t have experience in Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme, he is familiar with several other coaches and players in Philadelphia.
Eagles safety coach Joe Kasper was a defensive quality control coach for two seasons during Epps’ initial stint in Philadelphia. Epps and Blankenship were in the safety room together in 2022 as well.
Jakorian Bennett and Epps were teammates for two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. The two were so close that Bennett actually wore Epps’ jersey in the team’s locker room after the safety suffered a season-ending torn ACL in 2024.
Logan Reever (@loganreever) shared a photo of Bennett wearing Epps’ jersey on X:
Now they’ll be reunited in Philadelphia’s secondary, as Epps will try to get up to speed in Fangio’s defense. The veteran safety will have exactly one week to prepare for the regular season opener, which should be enough time for a player with 48 career starts in the NFL to get acclimated.
While Eagles fans were likely hoping for a bigger “splash” at safety, Epps is a solid addition. The move reminds me of when the Eagles signed Adoree’ Jackson earlier in free agency to help at cornerback. Both players have extensive starting experience and can provide a relatively high floor if called upon.
Considering that Epps is either being signed to the practice squad or likely signing a veteran minimum deal to be on Philadelphia’s 53-man roster, it’s hard to get upset at this move. Epps will provide the Eagles with a low-risk yet experienced depth option at safety in 2025.