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The never-ending safety competition that has turned into a rotation
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- The never-ending safety competition that has turned into a rotation
The never-ending safety competition that has turned into a rotation originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Marcus Epps and Michael Carter II battled all training camp for the same starting safety position. And now we're four weeks into the season and that competition still isn't over.
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Now it's a rotation.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio used both Epps and Carter against the Bears in Week 3 — Epps played 27 snaps, Carter played 20. And on Wednesday, the longtime DC said that rotation is going to continue.
"Those two guys are still going to man it," Fangio said.
Of course, you can argue that if you have two safeties at one spot, it's because you don't really have one. So when asked if he'd like either Epps or Carter to eventually settle into that role, Fangio said, "That's always your goal."
So how did we get here?
Well, the Eagles let Reed Blankenship explore free agency this offseason and he ended up signing with the Houston Texans on a three-year deal. So the spot next to second-year, second-round pick Drew Mukuba became available. The Eagles this offseason re-signed Epps to a one-year deal and reworked Carter's contract to keep him in Philly.
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The competition began in the spring and continued throughout all 17 training camp practices.
Eventually, the Eagles settled on Epps, who got most of the first-team reps along the way and never did anything to lose the job. But after just two games, the Eagles already started rotating against the Bears.
Because confidence is such an important element of playing defensive back in the NFL, it's fair to wonder if this part-time demotion has been a shot to his ego.
"With me, I'm always believing in myself," Epps said on Wednesday. "My whole background, my whole storyline, I don't really care what nobody has to say. I know who I am and I always carry myself that way. Confidence in myself has gotten me here, gotten me to Year 8. No matter what anybody on this planet has to say, I don't care. I'm just going to keep doing what I do, stay locked in, stay focused."
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It's obvious that Epps hasn't been very good so far in 2026. The Eagles obviously think so too because they wouldn't be taking him off the field otherwise. In general, the Eagles' safety play hasn't been great.
During training camp, Carter seemed to make more splash plays, but he's also newer to the position. Carter has spent most of his NFL career as a nickel cornerback and didn't begin learning safety until he was traded to Philly ahead of last season's deadline. He has also been the Eagles' extra DB in the dime package this year, but now he's playing even more.
"It's cool," Carter said of his extra playing time. "I feel like it means a lot just to be able to contribute again. Just taking it day by day and trying to get better. Just be the best teammate I can be, the best version I can be for the team day to day."
While Carter is enjoying his expanded role in the defense, it's obviously not what Epps wanted. The 30-year-old veteran worked hard to get back into a starting position and, after just a handful of games this season, he's already in danger of losing that spot completely.
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"You just gotta stay locked in and stay focused," Epps said on Wednesday. "At the end of the day, you just got to do whatever the team needs you to do and what the coaches as you to do. It's not about me. It's about everybody here, it's about the team. I would say that's the biggest thing. Stay locked in so I can do my job when it's my turn. Stay locked in so I'm seeing everything that's going out on the field when it's not my turn. And just be a good team player, be a good teammate."
It's important to note that when the Eagles are in their base defense, Cooper DeJean has been lining up at safety (25.7% of their snaps). But every time Fangio has been asked about moving DeJean to safety full-time — including again on Wednesday — he has completely shut down that idea.
What Fangio didn't shoot down on Wednesday was the possibility that newcomer Kenny Moore II could eventually get into the mix. Like Carter, Moore is a career nickel cornerback but the former Colts DB is learning both spots in the Eagles' defense.
"Well, he's a down-the line-possibility, maybe," Fangio said. "He's really never played safety in his career, so it'd be some heavy lifting for him on the immediate return."
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That means that in the short-term, it'll be either Epps or Carter or some combination of the two playing next to Mukuba in the Eagles' defense.
Mukuba had been dealing with a knee injury but was finally off the Eagles' injury report to start this week. After a promising rookie season that was cut short, Mukuba is hoping to find some stability in this defense in Year 2 — even if the safety spot next to him is in a state of constant flux.
"Still gotta do my job regardless of who's out there with me," Mukuba said after Monday night's game in Chicago . "Whoever is out there with me, I still got a responsibility and a job to do so I'm just going to do that. I work good with both Marcus and Mike, so it don't bother me. Whoever's out there is going to go ball."
You might wonder if the dynamic between Epps and Carter could potentially become icy, but that hasn't happened. In fact, Epps said that he and Carter forged a strong relationship last season when Carter was brought in via trade in October.
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That tight bond has helped them get through what would otherwise be a tricky situation — one that doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon.
"Whatever Vic wants to do," Carter said, "we roll with it."
