No longer fearing cutdown day, Reed Blankenship is now a mainstay for an Eagles secondary in transition
Blankenship, 26, will be the longest tenured starter in the secondary. And he’s come a long way three years.
At 26 years old, Reed Blankenship will be the longest-tenured starter in the Eagles secondary this season. His roster spot — let alone his tenure — wasn’t guaranteed three years ago.
With the Eagles’ last preseason game against the New York Jets on Friday, Blankenship said he vividly remembers the preseason finale of his rookie year in 2022. The undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State played what he said felt like every snap (it was 73% of the defensive snaps and 73% of the special teams snaps, but who’s counting?) on the road against the Miami Dolphins.
After five tackles on defense and one on special teams, Blankenship said he felt like he left everything he had to give on the field. Still, he sat on the plane back to Philadelphia uncertain about the future that awaited him.
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“I’m my biggest critic,” Blankenship said Wednesday. “It’s hard for me to take praise at times, because I feel like if you take praise, you’re just going to be complacent. I’ve tried to learn from my mistakes. Mistakes live in my head rent-free.”
No news was good news for Blankenship on cutdown day that year. He didn’t receive a call from general manager Howie Roseman after the deadline that afternoon, which indicated that he had made the initial 53-man roster out of training camp.
Blankenship has been a fixture since he took over the starting job later that season. He has missed just three regular-season games because of injury in the last two seasons. His seven interceptions in that span leads all Eagles.
That consistent presence is all the more important for the secondary amid some personnel shuffling in Vic Fangio’s defense. Following the release of Darius Slay and the trade of C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans, the Eagles will have two different starters at safety and outside cornerback in 2025. No matter the rotation of players at either vacancy throughout camp, Blankenship has been the mainstay.
“Reed, obviously, is our quarterback back there helping everybody get lined up and being on the same page,” coach Nick Sirianni said earlier in camp. “We talk about this an awful lot. The easiest way to give up a big play on defense is for not everybody to be on the same page.
“Reed has been back there for a while now, and guys trust him to help communicate that. Our coaches trust him. I trust him. It’s an important piece for that secondary to have somebody that can line everybody up and get the calls going.”
That rotation next to Blankenship is on the verge of settling down. Sydney Brown and Drew Mukuba have been the top contenders for the starting safety gig throughout training camp. But Mukuba sustained yet another injury on Tuesday — a hamstring ailment — that sidelined him on Wednesday, leaving Brown with the entirety of the starting snaps next to Blankenship.
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The severity of Mukuba’s injury is unknown, although the second-rounder out of Texas observed practice on Wednesday from the sideline, which typically is a good sign. Regardless of Mukuba’s latest injury, Blankenship has been impressed with both players.
“Every guy’s done good,“ Blankenship said. ”I’m not going to make the decision. But if I was in their shoes, it’s going to be really hard. Both of them, they come to work every day. I’m just excited to see who’s going to end up winning, regardless of who it is. It’s going to be close.”
Soon enough, Blankenship will continue as the quarterback of the evolving Eagles secondary. But with the season opener still two weeks away, the team is focused on preparing young, unproven players for the preseason finale.
Blankenship once was one of them. Now, he serves as an example to the 2025 class of undrafted free agents, headlined by breakout receiver Darius Cooper, who are competing for spots on the 53-man roster.
“Being an undrafted free agent and seeing the rookies, or the guys come in as undrafted free agents, I know what they’re going through,” Blankenship said. “I know it can be tough at times. But I know these dudes love the game, because they wouldn’t be here.”
He has plenty of advice to offer those players on the bubble based on his own experience in 2022. Stay healthy. Be available. Always ask questions. Build relationships with Eagles special teams coaches Michael Clay and Tyler Brown. Make sure they know you’re here to play and willing to help the team in any role.
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Blankenship’s special teams days are long behind him. He may be going into his third season as a full-time starter, but he still possesses the undrafted free agent mentality he cultivated when he entered the league.
“I want to continue to prove people wrong,” Blankenship said.