After the surprising offseason trade that sent veteran C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans, we know the Philadelphia Eagles will be breaking in a new starting safety alongside Reed Blankenship in 2025.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said that it will take the majority of training camp and the preseason to decide on CJGJ’s replacement, acknowledging that third-year pro Sydney Brown and second-round rookie Andrew Mukuba are among the top competitors for the job.
Fangio made sure, however, to add a third player’s name into the conversation, hinting at a potential darkhorse starter that few are talking about.
“Tristin’s in that, too,” Fangio said, referring to Tristin McCollum, a former undrafted free agent out of Sam Houston State who was among the surprise stories of last year’s training camp.
If we learned anything from Fangio’s media availabilities last year — they’re a must watch for Eagles fans, especially during the regular season — he doesn’t just say things to appease a reporter’s question. His answers are typically short, blunt — and honest. From Quinyon Mitchell’s quick ascension up the depth chart, to Zack Baun’s position change, to Cooper DeJean’s slow start during training camp, the Eagles pretty much followed through with everything Fangio told the media in 2024, which makes his unprompted mention of Tristin McCollum notable.
McCollum balled out in Philly’s three preseason game, ranking among the team leaders in total tackles with 17 while adding a pair of pass breakups and one tackle for loss. He survived cut-down day as a reserve safety and carved out a weekly role on special teams during the Eagles’ run to Super Bowl LIX.
He didn’t play a ton on defense — just 251 total snaps — but he was able to get his feet wet while clearly catching the eye of Fangio and Philly’s decision makers.
McCollum will need to earn his roster spot once again, as the team added some competition in former first-round pick Lewis Cine and undrafted rookie Andre’ Sam, who was reportedly among the team’s standout players on defense during OTAs.
But we know Fangio loves McCollum, and another monster preseason could easily keep him in the mix for expanded reps alongside Blankenship in 2025.
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