![Former Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (23) and former cornerback Avonte Maddox (29) celebrate against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field. ]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_303,w_2474,h_1391/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/190/01jvax87hxn60542211s.jpg "Former Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (23) and former cornerback Avonte Maddox (29) celebrate against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field. ]")
The 2025 NFL offseason forced franchises around the league to say goodbye to familiar faces, and the Philadelphia Eagles aren't an exception. The defending Super Bowl Champions let several veteran free agents see the door once the market opened in March, including long-term secondary fixture Avonte Maddox.
Drafted 125th overall in 2018, Maddox spent seven seasons in the City of Brotherly Love before joining the Detroit Lions on a one-year, $1.4 million deal shortly after free agency began. It was largely believed that the Lions brought the veteran cornerback in to help provide depth after CBs Carlton Davis, Kindle Vildor, and Ifeatu Melifonwu left town as free agents.
Fast forward to mid-May, and it looks like Maddox could experience a different role than expected with his new team.
Former Eagles CB Avonte Maddox to Play Safety for Lions
Lions safeties coach Jim O'Neil revealed on Thursday that Maddox "will play more of a safety role" after leaving the Eagles, according to The Detroit News' Nolan Bianchi.
Playing safety more often is a big change for Maddox, who's often operated as a slot cornerback. Having said that, the positional change might be his best shot at seeing the field in the Motor City. Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are, easily, the Lions' top safeties; however, the depth beyond the pair is noticeably shallower than the team's CB depth.
And even though he's known for being a cornerback, playing safety isn't new to Maddox. The former Pittsburgh product has played 331 snaps at free safety since making his NFL debut, according to Pro Football Focus, with 24 of those opportunities coming last season.
It'll be interesting to see if Maddox will thrive or fail in the face of his new responsibilities. The 75.7 PFF tackle grade he recorded last season was the second-best mark of his career, while his 62.9 coverage grade was a significant upgrade from his 2023 performance (39.3).
Eagles fans won't have to wait too long to see how Maddox handles potentially being a full-time safety. The Eagles will be hosting the Lions at Lincoln Financial Field for a Week 11 Sunday Night Football showdown, leaving it up to Maddox to prove how he can handle his old team's aerial threats like A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert.
Even though that surely explosive encounter is six months away, Philadelphia's outlook is already promising. DraftKings Sportsbook is currently listing the Eagles as the early 3.5-point home favorites over the Lions before their Week 11 collision.
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