The Philadelphia Eagles knew they could take nothing for granted to open the 2025 season with matchups against the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs on tap in the first two weeks.
After coming away with two wins in those games, Eagles fans have learned a lot about this group. From the type of resiliency the team has, to which youngsters are ready to step into bigger roles earlier than anticipated, facing two quality opponents out of the gate has been beneficial for Philadelphia.
Coming out of their Week 2 win against the Chiefs, rookie strong safety Andrew Mukuba looks like a player who is more than capable of being handed a starting job at just 22 years of age. This is a great sign, as the veteran who was expected to hold down that job in the secondary this season has been anything but reliable thus far.
Eagles FS Andrew Mukuba Has Stolen Starting Job from Sydney Brown
When the Eagles selected Mukuba in the second round of this past April's draft, the coaching staff knew they had landed a talented player with great ball skills. His five interceptions as a member of the Texas Longhorns during the 2024 season proved that.
What Nick Sirianni and company couldn't have expected is that Mukuba would supplant 2023 third-round pick Sydney Brown as the starting free safety in just two weeks. This is the reality we appear to be living in after Philadelphia's first two wins of the season.
Mukuba made his presence felt again in Week 2, finishing the win over Kansas City with six total tackles, 0.5 QB sacks, one pass defended, and one interception after the Chiefs had made their way down to the Eagles' six-yard line. Mukuba returned that interception 41 yards to set up what proved to be the game-winning touchdown for Philadelphia.
When you compare the output from Mukuba to the three total tackles that Brown has provided the defense through two games, there is no good reason for not moving forward with Mukuba as the top option on the depth chart at the free safety spot from this point forward.