What does new contract really mean for Eagles' Reed Blankenship?

Reed Blankenship has a new contract and a little bit more security in the form of nearly $4 million in guaranteed money.

What he doesn’t have is any guarantee that he’ll be a starting safety for the Eagles in 2024.

Despite the contract restructure, Blankenship is still only about the 35^th-highest-paid safety in the league, and that means while the Eagles have shown that they value Blankenship, nothing else is promised. And he knows it.

“It's all about growth,” he said Tuesday. “I still have a long way to go and I'm fortunate enough to still have some of these great teammates to teach me and some of these great coaches. And I want to take that opportunity and run with it. 

“I'm excited, just so excited to be back. I know a lot of the guys are excited to be back, too.”

As an undrafted rookie in 2022, Blankenship had a minimum-wage contract, and the Eagles did the right thing by bumping him up. They didn’t really add any years because they already controlled his rights through 2025. But by including escalators they gave him a chance to significantly increase his pay in both 2024 and 2025 if he meets reachable playing-time benchmarks.

Right now, Blankenship and Chauncey-Gardner Johnson are the projected starters. Blankenship started four games in place of CJGJ in 2022 and started 15 games last year alongside a variety of since-departed safeties – Terrell Edmunds, Kevin Byard and Justin Evans – as well as rookie Sydney Brown.

But after a very good first half, Blankenship struggled the second half of the season. Like the rest of the team. 

And it wouldn’t surprise anybody if Howie Roseman brings in some safety competition either with a veteran or a draft pick. Brown is out through the summer as he rehabs a torn Achilles.

Basically, the job belongs to Blankenship. But nothing is set in stone.

“I still feel like I have that chip on my shoulder,” he said. “Even with this contract extension, it's a stepping stone. And it's something that I want to grow in. I want to learn from the best and play with the best. And that's what I want to try and do each day.”

Blankenship led the Eagles with 11 missed tackles last year, and that was the 8^th-most among all NFL safeties last year. 

His coverage numbers really dropped as the year went on. Through the Chiefs game, opposing QBs had a 79.9 passer rating when throwing at Blankenship, which ranked 29^th out of 90 safeties through Week 11 (minimum 100 snaps). The rest of the year, opposing QBs had a 135.0 passer rating, which ranked 75^th of 83 safeties.

“You look back at past seasons and stuff and there's mistakes made, but we're moving forward and we're all excited about it,” he said. “We had some injuries here and there, and I just got done talking to Sidney and Zech McPhearson and just seeing them up and walking around and getting back to what they do, it just excites you. It makes me more excited just to come out and play. Just play for them and play for everybody that's going to be a part of this program. 

“Whoever we get in the draft and who we have signed so far, it's gonna be a blast, we're going to have fun this year. “

Blankenship didn’t suffer a season-ending injury like Brown and McPhearson, but he did miss the Vikings and Dolphins games with rib injuries and then missed the playoff loss vs. the Buccaneers with a worsening groin injury.

He said this week he underwent surgery to repair the injury and hinted that it had been bothering him for quite a while, although he refused to use it as an excuse for his play down the stretch.

“It honestly just happened toward the end of the season,” he said. “It was one of those freak deals. You extend a little bit the wrong direction and something tears a little bit. I ended up having to get it repaired, which I think I needed because it said that it was a little chronic. Had some stuff going on.

“I felt like that was the best decision possible. Right now I feel great. I'm pretty much 100 percent back to normal, and it feels good now not being as sore anymore like I did this past season dealing with it. But I'm ready to go. I'm really excited to show what I can do.”

Whatever his role, Blankenship in 2024 will be a part of a reshaped defense with a new coaching staff and several new starters.

Six defensive starters from the playoff loss are no longer with the team and six other defensive players who started at least one game last year are also gone.

But Blankenship does have his 2022 safety colleague CJGJ back, and the Eagles have added pieces like Bryce Huff, Devin White,  Zach Baun and Oren Burks on defense. 

“It's going to take all of us,” he said. “We're all excited. … We're going to have a blast. We know what we have and what's at stake and what's on the table and we're just ready to get back after it.”