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Eagles Could Be Making Safety Switch

Originally posted on Philadelphia Eagles on SI
By Ed Kracz | Last updated Dec 3, 2025 3:53 PM ET

Safety Sydney Brown made his first start for Vic Fangio on Black Friday, logging 85 defensive snaps (98 percent). The Eagles defensive coordinator wasn’t handing out many compliments for his defense on Wednesday. Not after the Bears raked them for 281 yards on the ground and 425 total yards.

“It was a lot like the rest of us, some good, some bad,” was the DC’s answer when asked for his assessment of Brown’s play.

It was the same answer he gave when asked about the play of Jalen Carter. The game film showed that it wasn’t the defensive tackle’s best game. It may have been his worst, though he made four tackles, including two for loss and a sack.

“It was a lot like the rest of us,” said Fangio. “Some good, some not good. I think we were all guilty of that.”

DC Gives Jalen Carter Update

There’s not much the Eagles can do for Carter, who Fangio said is still playing through a shoulder injury that could have impacted his performance. He’s still too good not to play, even at less than 100 percent.

Brown might be a different story. Fangio indicated that Marcus Epps could start on Monday Night Football when the Eagles travel to play the Los Angeles Chargers.

Fangio said, “Yes,” when asked if Epps could start, then added, “He’s an experienced safety, has good instincts, has a good feel for the game."

The issue is how healthy Epps will be. The Eagles opened his 21-day practice window to return from injured reserve earlier in the week. Epps was placed on IR on Nov. 1 with an undisclosed injury.

He was ahead of Brown on the Eagles’ depth chart as early as Week 6 when it was Epps who replaced Reed Blankenship after Blankenship got hurt.

Epps is on his second stint with the Eagles, who claimed him at the end of training camp when the Patriots released him. He’s played 15 defensive snaps and 119 (55 percent) on special teams in eight games since his return.

Originally a sixth-round pick of the Vikings, the Eagles claimed him as a rookie in 2019. He played seven games that year, then played 42 games with them over the next three years, including making all 17 starts in 2022. He left for Las Vegas after that season and spent two years with the Raiders. He got hurt in his second season there and played just three games in 2024.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Eagles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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