Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles tend to extend their key starters early, and for multiple years. The recent contract updates for Saquon Barkley, Cam Jurgens and Lane Johnson are some of the latest examples.
One of Philly’s top defensive starters continues to fly a bit under the radar, however, and is set to enter 2025 without a contract in place.
It begs the question: What’s going on with Eagles safety Reed Blankenship?
The fourth-year pro is entering the final season on his rookie deal. He’ll make $3.5 million this year after the team gave him a one-year bump in April of 2024. With the team’s decision to cut ties with C.J. Gardner-Johnson and draft second-round rookie Andrew Mukuba this offseason, it would seem Blankenship’s value to the team has never been higher.
Despite a report from The Athletic this month that Blankenship remains in Philly’s long-term plans, Anthony Palacios of Last Word on Sports predicts an alternate ending.
Here’s why Palacios believes Blankenship’s final season with Philadelphia will end in a trade: “The team might have to move carefully in the following seasons as they want to allocate as much cap space for Jalen Carter when he’s eligible for a contract,” he wrote. “The good news is that Blankenship might not demand the highest-paid deal in the area of Detroit Lions Kerby Joseph, but you never know what might happen in the league.
“It is all speculation,” he added, “but many deals tend to fall apart, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Eagles end up trading Blankenship, given they’ve been able to develop more superstars in recent memory.”
While Carter’s looming mega extension, which could come as soon as the spring of 2026, is worth mentioning, the good news here is Blankenship’s projected market value. The safety position has been way down in recent years, with only two players in the entire NFL — Kerby Joseph and Antoine Winfield — making over $20 million in average annual contract value. Roseman should have no problem extending Blankenship on a team-friendly, multi-year deal with void years that works well for both sides.
It’s a bit surprising that Blankenship’s deal wasn't done prior to spring minicamp, but again, this isn’t a Milton Williams situation, where the eventual price tag will be overwhelming. Philly can afford to take its time with this one, and given the state of their safety depth chart right now, it would be an absolute stunner to see this situation end in a trade.
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