Philadelphia Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba (24) during OTAs at NovaCare Complex.
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
After watching his rookie season end in tragedy when he was placed on IR with an ankle fracture in Week 12, Andrew Mukuba is back on the field for training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he's already turning heads among his fellow defensive backs.
Discussing what he's seen from Mukuba over their time together in Vic Fangio's defense, Marcus Epps had nothing but nice things to say about the second-year pro out of Texas, noting that he's maturing nicely along his NFL journey.
“He's made a lot of great steps, man. It's been really good to see his progression over the past year, and especially this offseason. I think he's doing a really good job of just honing in on the small details,” Epps said. “He's a lot more urgent, so that's a really good thing to see from a young guy. He's trying to continue to learn and continue to grow his game, and you can tell things have slowed down a lot for him. So that's been really good to see.”
Marcus Epps said he’s noticed a big step from Drew Mukuba this summer, particularly when it comes to picking up on small details and finding a routine. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/yrdPyyVsZn
— PHLY Eagles (@PHLY_Eagles) August 24, 2026
While it will be nice to see Mukuba take the field once more after putting some quality play on tape as a rookie, the man who will likely be starting next to him, Epps, has had his own journey back to the starting lineup after it looked like his career was almost over.
Asked what it's been like to have his spot on the 53-man roster more or less locked up after an ACL tear ended his run with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024, Epps noted he's enjoying his own journey as there have been some “dark days” along the way.
“I mean, it'll mean everything to me. I worked real hard to get back to where I'm at, man. There was a lot of dark days, but I still got work to do,” Epps noted. “I haven't arrived by any means. It's a long season, and we're still here just in camp. So that's where my focus is on camp, finishing out camp the right way, and just continuing to get better.”
Initially joining the Eagles for the second time in late August of 2025 as a member of the practice squad, Epps benefited the most from Mukuba's injury, starting four games down the stretch plus Philadelphia's lone playoff game next to Reed Blankenship. With Blankenship gone, Mukuba and Epps are now likely going to start together to begin the 2026 NFL season as Fangio's free and strong safety, with fellow 2025 addition Michael Carter II mixing in as a do-it-all defensive back both at safety and in the slot situationally.