Marcus Epps is ready to do ‘whatever the team needs’ as Eagles could have a new starting safety

Playing next to Reed Blankenship has been sort of like riding a bike for Marcus Epps.

The two Eagles safeties played next to each other for a few games in 2022 before Epps left in free agency for the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Ever since I got back here, any time I’m out there with Reed it’s easier,” Epps said Saturday. “It’s kind of seamless. We already have that repertoire of playing together in the past so that definitely makes it a lot easier and makes it a smoother transition for me.”

The Eagles brought Epps back after training camp. His contributions in 2025 have mostly been as a special teamer, though when Blankenship went down during a Week 6 loss to the New York Giants, Epps took the field in his place.

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Ahead of the Eagles’ Week 14 game Monday night at the Los Angeles Chargers, Epps could once again be filling in for an injured player, this time Drew Mukuba, who is on injured reserve after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured ankle.

Last week, it was Sydney Brown who got the call next to Blankenship with Epps still on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury. But the Eagles opened Epps’ 21-day practice window earlier this week and while the Eagles officially listed him as questionable, he’s expected to be activated ahead of Monday’s game.

Vic Fangio said on Wednesday that Epps would be in contention to start. Epps would not say Saturday if he was starting, but all signs point to him lining up next to Blankenship when the Eagles’ defense takes the field for the first time Monday night at SoFi Stadium.

“I’m preparing as if I’m starting, but I do that every week,” Epps said. “I’m kind of just staying mentally prepared, and we’ll see what happens over the next couple days.

“It’s not really my decision. So I’m just doing whatever the team needs me to do, doing whatever the coaches need me to do, ask of me, and that’s kind of where my mind is at.”

Epps, who will turn 30 in January, said he took plenty of mental reps during his injured reserve stint. While he was with the Eagles as recently as 2022, this is his first season playing in Vic Fangio’s scheme. An expanded role Monday would mean his first extended work as a safety in the scheme during a game.

“He’s an experienced safety,” Fangio said. “He’s got good instincts. Got [a] good feel for the game.”

The Eagles’ run defense was torched last week for 281 yards. There were a lot of factors for that, but Brown wasn’t impactful stopping runs in the second and third levels and struggled a few times with his angles. He was credited for one missed tackle.

“It was a lot like the rest of us,” Fangio said of Brown’s performance. “Some good, some bad.”

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With Mukuba expected to be sidelined for a bit, Epps has a chance to solidify himself as a starter for the stretch run of the season. It’s a job he had with the Eagles in 2022 on a team that went to the Super Bowl. His second season with the Raiders ended with a torn ACL after just three games in 2024.

If Epps is to step into a larger role, the opportunity is a big one for a soon-to-be-30-year-old who has no future guarantees beyond this season. Epps, however, said he wasn’t looking at the next stretch of games with the future of his career in mind.

“I’m kind of just being where my feet are and looking at it more from the perspective of what can I do … whatever I’m needed to do, that’s what I’m going to give me full effort toward," he said.

It all starts at home. Epps went to high school in Huntington Beach, Calif., and owns a gym in nearby Costa Mesa. Epps said he will have “a lot of people” in attendance Monday night.

As of now, it seems like they might be seeing a lot of him on the field.

The Eagles, as expected, ruled out Jalen Carter and Lane Johnson. Carter had a procedure done to both of his shoulders earlier this week and is expected to mis a few games. Johnson, meanwhile, is still working his way back from a Lisfranc injury in his foot.

Along with Epps, the Eagles listed Myles Hinton (back) as questionable. Hinton, a rookie offensive tackle, remains on injured reserve and does not need to be activated from his 21-day practice window until next week.

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Left guard Landon Dickerson, who missed practice Friday due to what the Eagles called a rest day, returned Saturday as a full participant. Zack Baun (hand), Jahan Dotson (toe), and Jaelan Phillips (concussion), all were upgraded from limited participants to full participants and are good to go for the game Monday.

The injury intrigue for Monday is with the Chargers, who listed quarterback Justin Herbert as questionable with his left hand injury. He was again a limited participant Saturday, and the Eagles have been preparing for both Herbert and backup Trey Lance.

Los Angeles also listed running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) as questionable, but he is expected to play.