Ahead of a vital Week 14 matchup against the Chargers, the Philadelphia Eagles got some good news on the injury front. Veteran S Marcus Epps, placed on Injured Reserve (IR) with a shoulder injury at the beginning of November, had his practice window opened on Wednesday.
Epps, a sixth-round pick back in 2019 by the Vikings, was traded to the Eagles midway through his rookie campaign. He started three seasons in Philly from 2020-2022, becoming a key cog in their defense, before signing with the Raiders in free agency in 2023. Epps started in Las Vegas for a season before playing a backup role in 2024, and he signed with the Eagles in free agency again prior to this season.
During his first run in Philadelphia, Epps totaled 208 tackles, three interceptions, 15 passes defensed, and a forced fumble. So far in 2025, he’s appeared in eight games in a reserve role and tallied six tackles.
For a player on IR, once their practice window is opened, the team has 21 days to place them back on the active roster, or else they revert to season-ending IR. Now that his practice window is open, Epps can practice with the team, though he must be activated before he can appear in a game.
S Marcus Epps’ Return Comes at the Perfect Time for the Philadelphia Eagles
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 01: Juwan Johnson #83 of the New Orleans Saints runs against Marcus Epps #22 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on January 01, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Epps was listed as a full participant Thursday’s practice, the first of the week for Philadelphia. That’s a promising sign for his game status this week, though given the Eagles play on Monday night, we likely won’t know for sure until after Saturday’s practice.
If Epps can go, though, it would be huge for the Eagles. Rookie second-round S Andrew Mukuba won the starting safety job opposite Reed Blankenship in training camp, and he’s played well in his first season. But Mukuba suffered a broken ankle and is currently on IR, leaving a hole in Philadelphia’s defense.
S Sydney Brown started last season, but when Epps was healthy, he appeared to be playing ahead of Brown when Philly needed a reserve safety. Regardless, with Mukuba out for the foreseeable future, the Eagles need all the bodies they can get at safety.
The Philadelphia Eagles Can’t Afford to Trip Up on Monday
The Cowboys play the Lions on Thursday night, but if they win that game, they would move to 7-5-1 on the season, just a hairsbreadth away from the Eagles in the NFC East.
After the Chargers, Philadelphia has a managing closing schedule: against the Raiders, Commanders, Bills, and then a rematch with the Commanders. That’s not an overly difficult closing slate. The issue is, the Eagles aren’t playing well right now, and they need to find some answers soon.
The Cowboys are getting hot and the Eagles have led this division all season long. If they do manage to close it out, Philadelphia would be the first repeat winner of the NFC East in over 20 years, but they have some work to do to get there.
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