PHILADELPHIA – Once upon time, when Sean Desai was running the defense before Matt Patricia took over down the stretch of the 2023 season, safety Sydney Brown made six starts, including three of the final four games, but in the final start he tore an ACL.
Out went Patricia and in came Vic Fangio. Also out - Brown’s chance to make an impression on the new DC, as he had to rehab his ACL injury, then undergo another knee surgery, and overcome a concussion. It was out of sight, out of mind for him.
Brown will re-enter the picture on Friday against the Chicago Bears in a matchup between a pair of 8-3 teams leading their respective divisions. He is expected to make his first start since Jan. 7, 2024.
“As long as the team is winning, I’m just going to own my role for what it is," he said. "The situation that happened this past weekend just kind of fell into my favor. I’m ready.
“I feel like I’ve been ready since camp. I feel like I’ve been prepared since I got here. I’ve had a couple of setbacks in the past. It’s just something to work back from. But I think I’ve been ready to go since I came here.”
**Opportunity Knocking Again For Sydney Brown**
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Eagles Sydney Brown | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI
That situation is the broken ankle suffered by rookie Drew Mukuba late in Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Mukuba might be able to return later in the season, but until then, Brown will likely be the starter.
The Eagles also have Michael Carter and possibly Cooper DeJean, and, in a pinch, practice squad safety Andre Sam, to use at safety.
“Losing Drew is tough,” said safety Reed Blankenship. “You build that relationship on the field and being able to play together and kind of just learning what the other one is gonna do, you start to build that up, then an unfortunate circumstance happens.
“It’s just the life of football. I hate that for Drew. I hate it. I’m in his corner, I’m praying for him, but it’s next man up and I feel like Sydney is going to be great. I have confidence in him. We’re gonna communicate well and get this back going.”
A knock on Brown is that he plays too aggressively at times, and that leads to missed tackles and sometimes being out of position. He said playing with more calmness is something he has been working on with coaches and in film study.
“I think it’s just being comfortable in the scheme, understanding my job,” he sad. “I think just reps in the system and yeah, I’ve been diving into the details, meeting with the coaches. The coaches do a really good job, and just owning my role and understanding what I need to do to be successful.
“Calming down a little bit when I get in there, and just playing the game. Playing the game I love, playing the game I know how to play, and that’s it. I feel like inside, I have a calm presence. I know what I’m doing. But I think it’s slowing down a little bit, coming under control in contact.”
Before tearing his ACL, Brown played well in the three previous games as a rookie. While playing a lot of defensive snaps in those three games, he made 12 tackles with a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown, the fourth-longest in Eagles history.
“It’s going to be amazing,” said Brown of his return to a starting role. “It’s what I came here to do. Kind of just embracing the opportunity for what it is. I feel horrible for Drew. He’s been having a great season so far, doing a really good job in the secondary as a safety.
“I hate to see that as a young player. I can relate to it because I went through it. I know what he’s going through is a tough process, but he’s going to get through it and be better on the other end of it.”
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