Several Philadelphia Eagles entered the 2025-26 NFL postseason with their futures on the line, including safety Reed Blankenship. The veteran defensive back is slated to hit free agency in March as his rookie contract wraps up, and while some Eagles fans are open to running things back, others aren't as keen to re-sign Blankenship due to a drop-off in play as the season went on.
Unfortunately, those late-season concerns bled into Sunday's playoff-ending loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Blankenship looked like he couldn't stop a nose whenever the ball came his way, as he allowed five catches on seven targets for 62 yards, a touchdown, and a 138.1 passer rating, resulting in his third-worst Pro Football Focus coverage grade (35.3) of the season.
No matter how it's sliced, that's far from the type of performance the Eagles needed from Blankenship in a crucial game. Now, it's hard to imagine a path for him to return to Philly' secondary next season.
All Signs Point to Reed Blankenship Leaving Eagles After 49ers Dud
It seemed like whenever he was on the field on Sunday, Blankenship was a consistent source of frustration for Eagles viewers — especially in the fourth quarter.
The 26-year-old safety looked lost on 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey's 29-yard touchdown pass from wideout Jauan Jennings. About 10 minutes after that, the Eagles thought they sacked Brock Purdy, only for the sack to be taken back after Blankenship was flagged five yards for defensive holding.
Eagles fans were, unsurprisingly, frustrated by Blankenship's untimely blunder. The 49ers ended up continuing their drive after the penalty, resulting in McCaffrey punching in a four-yard TD grab for his second score of the game. Regardless of whether or not San Francisco would've scored had Blankenship remained disciplined, the fact of the matter is that he improved the opposition's field position and made their job much easier.
Sunday's poor showing was another example of Blankenship's declining second-half play. Here's a look at how his numbers compare in his last six outings compared to the first 11, courtesy of PFF:
Statistic | Week 1 to Week 12 | Week 13 to Wild Card Round |
|---|---|---|
Games Played | 11 | 6 |
Targets | 24 | 21 |
Receptions | 15 | 17 |
Completion Rate | 62.5% | 81.0% |
Receiving Yards | 219 | 160 |
Yards Per Game | 19.9 | 26.7 |
Yards After Catch | 35 | 57 |
Touchdown Catches | 2 | 2 |
There's no way that the Eagles can look at Blankenship's second-half performance and justify paying him this offseason. Between his poor decision-making, unreliable coverage performances, and knack for missing tackles, he clearly isn't someone who Philadelphia can rely on in season-deciding contests.
Sydney Brown and Andrew Makuba are the only natural safeties under contract for the Eagles in 2026, making it interesting to see who they'd bring in if Blankenship is pushed out the door. Michael Carter II has proven that he can contribute at safety, too, so it wouldn't be shocking if Philadelphia gave him a chance to take Blankenship's job next season.
The NFL is a 'what-have-you-done-for-me-lately' business, and it's safe to say that the struggling Eagles' safety hasn't done much recently. It's obvious that Blankenship needs a fresh start that the offseason can bring, which is why it's likely in his (and Philadelphia's) best interest to play elsewhere in 2026.