The Philadelphia Eagles have been a fascinating team to follow since the start of the new league year, as GM Howie Roseman, owner Jeffrey Lurie and team leadership are clearly resetting the books, so to speak, coming off their Super Bowl title run.
So far, the Eagles have extended some impact starters and locker room leaders — running back Saquon Barkley, linebacker Zack Baun, center Cam Jurgens, right tackle Lane Johnson — and have committed to nothing but cheap, low-risk signings in free agency. Roseman literally hasn’t signed a single outside free agent to a multi-year contract this offseason, which has left Philly with a profitable $30.7 million in salary cap space ahead of training camp.
To many analysts, this all signals that a splash move could be coming. The Eagles are projected to have 13 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, so they’re fully locked and loaded to make a move this summer, either via trade or in free agency if a potential impact player shakes free.
One interesting item on Roseman’s offseason to-do list is surprisingly still pending, however. With ample cap space and the goal of future financial flexibility apparently achieved, it begs the question: When is Reed Blankenship’s contract extension getting done?
The Eagles are reportedly holding firm, as “there have been no talks about a contract extension” with Blankenship’s camp, per team insider Anthony DiBona. That’s surprising, as Blankenship’s modest, $3.5 million per year contract is set to void at the conclusion of this upcoming 2025 season. It’s still early, but that’s not a great sign for his long-term future in Philly, as recent starters in contract years, like EDGE Josh Sweat and defensive tackle Milton Williams, left as free agents with barely a whisper from the Eagles.
Blankenship has some serious leverage entering training camp, as Philly is set to roll with a questionable group of safeties behind him. Unproven players like Sydney Brown, rookie Drew Mukuba, Tristin McCollum, Lewis Cine and Andre' Sam will be competing for reps this summer.
If Blankenship opts to hold out — he shares representation with Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, as Josh Davis of The Philly Special Show recently pointed out — the Eagles could be forced to sit down at the negotiating table. They could even be forced to gain leverage in the form of reinforcements, as veteran free agent Justin Simmons has been waiting on Vic Fangio and the Eagles to call and sign him all offseason.
Davis predicts Blankenship will command around $12 million in average annual value on his next contract, or about $36 million total over three years. That’s a big number for a former undrafted free agent, but Blankenship now has back-to-back seasons of proven production, including over 180 total tackles and seven interceptions.
The Eagles have stuck to a strict plan all offseason, likely with an eye on Jalen Carter’s looming extension — he’s eligible in 2026 — and what could be another hefty deal for the ascending Nolan Smith Jr. You would think Blankenship, who’s suddenly the elder statesman of Philly’s secondary, would be in the team’s long-term plans, but as we’ve seen this year, the price tag rises as soon as a player hits the open market.
“Considering the fact that Philly can carry over the $30ish million they have in cap space right now into next season,” Davis said, “I can understand if the thinking is: Let’s see how Andrew Mukuba performs, Sydney Brown progresses, and other guys like Tristin McCollum or Andre Sam do before deciding to pay out the cash.”
As it stands here in early July, still weeks before the start of training camp, that appears to be the play for Philadelphia. Maybe that’s the shrewd business move, as Carter’s extension will likely break records for interior defensive linemen come 2026.
But kicking the can down the road with a 26-year-old impact starter who just helped you win a Super Bowl is, at the very least, a risky proposition for an Eagles team that will enter camp with some serious question marks at the safety position.
