The Philadelphia Eagles weren’t going to let Reed Blankenship enter the final year of his contract with an uncertain future, announcing a one-year contract extension with the starting safety that will keep him with the team until the 2025 season.
Blankenship will make $3.935 million in fully guaranteed money over the next two years, per NFL Network, a massive pay raise from the $985,000 in base salary he would have made in 2024. The former undrafted free agent finished the 2023 season with 113 tackles, 11 passes defended and three interceptions. Opposing quarterbacks targeting Blankenship completed 68.6% of their passes and had six touchdowns against him with a 86.5 passer rating.
At just 25 years old, Blankenship is locked into Philadelphia for the next two seasons. He’ll have guaranteed money through his restricted free agent year of 2025, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. Blankenship had the second-most performance-based pay in the NFL at $923,059 for the 2023, which was announced earlier Monday, making April 1 a banner day for Blankenship financially.
What this means for Eagles at safety
The Eagles have Blankenship and C.J. Gardner-Johnson signed for multiple seasons, having their top two safeties under contract until at least the 2025 season. Whether Blankenship starts or not, he and Gardner-Johnson will be part of Vic Fangio’s defense for 2024 and beyond.
Sydney Brown also is in the mix at safety once he recovers from the ACL injury he suffered in Week 18 of last season. The Eagles are targeting a return for Brown at some point early in the 2024 season, as he will be rehabbing throughout minicamp and training camp.
Mekhi Garner and Tristin McCollum are also in the mix at safety, as both players will compete for a roster spot in training camp.
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