When asked about Andrew Mukuba's rookie season, Philadelphia Eagles' defensive coordinator Vic Fangio chose an interesting word: Uneven. Fangio admitted that Mukuba has the tools needed to be good, but he wasn't consistent enough.
That's not necessarily what you want to hear as an aspiring player, but it may have been the wake-up call he needed. Now, with the way the team has operated in free agency, they're giving him a chance to prove that he can fulfill his potential.
Andrew Mukuba Will be in the Spotlight in 2026
The Eagles let Reed Blankenship walk away in free agency. They re-signed Marcus Epps, kept Michael Carter II -- who can also play at safety -- in town, and brought J.T. Gray from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nevertheless, none of those players poses a threat to Mukuba as the starting free safety.
With that in mind, he's going to have to be much better in coverage next season. He was impressive against the run, logging 14 stops and drawing a Pro Football Focus run defense grade of 81.9, the 12th-highest in his position. However, he was a major liability against the pass, and that simply cannot be the case in his second season as a pro.
Mukuba's coverage grade (46.4) ranked 84th among 98 eligible players. He gave up 16 receptions on 25 targets for 266 yards and three touchdowns, with opposing quarterbacks having a passer rating of 106.0 when targeting him. He gave up a whopping 16.6 yards per target and 149 yards after the catch, which is far from ideal for a defensive center fielder on a Super Bowl-caliber defense.
That said, he also proved to have a strong nose for the ball, logging a couple of interceptions and defending three passes. He was also an efficient blitzer and even managed 0.5 sacks as a rookie, so it wasn't all bad.
Again, it's all a matter of consistency. Teams like the Eagles can't afford to have any weak links, and Mukuba, like most young players, went through a bit of a rollercoaster ride in his first year in the league. Growing pains are to be expected, and the fact that they're not directly addressing the position shows that they still think he can turn things around.
The Eagles will most likely take an offensive or defensive lineman with their first-round pick in the 2026 draft. For now, it looks like the starting spot is his to lose. That said, Howie Roseman isn't the type of general manager who ignores problems for long, so he'll have to take a step forward, or this team won't hesitate to make an in-season move.
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