The Philadelphia Eagles are approaching the tail end of the regular season and will need to start playing their best ball to lock down a playoff spot and potentially head into the postseason with momentum.
With the pressure mounting, the Eagles need everyone to step it up, and a potential addition to the safety room went off the board. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that the Detroit Lions are signing safety Damontae Kazee to their practice squad. This comes after safety Brian Branch tore his Achilles tendon for Detroit, and they are searching for some depth.
And while the Eagles could have added Kazee if they wanted to, they allowed another NFC team to do so, which means they are likely going to rely on Sydney Brown back there for the remainder of the season.
Eagles Sit Idle as Damontae Kazee Signs with Lions
The Eagles have had to lean on Brown more, as rookie safety Andrew Mukuba is on injured reserve after suffering an ankle fracture in the Week 12 contest against the Dallas Cowboys. That pushed Brown into the starting lineup, next to Reed Blankenship in the safety room.
Last week against the Chicago Bears, he played a season-high 85 defensive snaps. Yet in this contest, he didn't play well. Brown logged six total tackles but had a 48.6 overall grade and 51.5 coverage grade on Pro Football Focus, highlighting how little he helped the Eagles.
Brown has had trouble tackling and has taken bad pursuit angles when coming up to make tackles. Nonetheless, the Eagles seem to like what he can bring and are banking on their coaches to get the best out of him. It doesn't hurt that CB Michael Carter II can line up at safety if needed.
Kazee was with the Cleveland Browns in 2025 but mostly played on special teams for them. Before joining Cleveland, he played for the Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The last time Kazee started several games was in 2023, which is a long time from now, hinting why the Eagles may not have viewed him as a fix for their Brown problem.
It does make sense why the Eagles didn't look to add Kazee, as they don't have time to ease anyone in during the upcoming crunch time. They need everyone there, hitting the ground running, so that's why Brown gets the benefit of the doubt.
These next four games and potentially the postseason will give Brown the runway to lock down a roster spot for himself in 2026 and maybe beyond. If not, there's a good chance the veteran safety won't be included in the future for Philadelphia.