Eagles extend Reed Blankenship's contract through 2025
Eagles extend Reed Blankenship's contract through 2025 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles added a year to safety Reed Blankenship’s contract on Monday, extending his deal through 2025.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the extension pays Blankenship $3.935 million over the next two years fully guaranteed with Pro Bowl and playing time incentives that could be worth up to $1.375 million. The Eagles announced the move on their social media accounts.
Blankenship was eligible for a contract extension after just two years because he entered the league as an undrafted rookie. The Eagles already controlled Blankenship through 2025, but he would have been a restricted free agent after this coming season. He’s still due to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season.
As an undrafted player, Blankenship signed a three-year near-minimum rookie deal worth about $2.57 million, including a modest $5,000 signing bonus. Blankenship doubled his 2023 base salary of $870,000 with $923,059 in performance-based pay.
Blankenship made the Eagles as a rookie in 2022 and played very well in four starts in place of injured Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, including an interception of Aaron Rodgers on his ninth career defensive snap, and he remains the only undrafted rookie ever to pick off Rodgers.
With Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps both leaving as free agents after 2022, Blankenship became a full-time starter last year. He led the Eagles with three interceptions, the most by a homegrown undrafted Eagle since Dimitri Patterson had four and Quintell Mikell three in 2010.
But he did not have a strong second half of the season – very few Eagles did – and although he currently projects as a 2024 starter alongside Gardner-Johnson it wouldn’t be surprising if the Eagles either signed or drafted someone to compete with him this summer.
Blankenship, who just turned 25 in early March, is the first Eagle with four interceptions in his first 25 career games since linebacker Jordan Hicks had seven over the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The last undrafted Eagle with four INTs in his first 25 career games was cornerback Brenard Wilson, who had eight over the 1979 and 1980 seasons.
The Eagles have seven veteran defensive backs signed through 2025: Corners James Bradberry and Darius Slay, CJGJ and Blankenship as well as 2023 rookies Eli Ricks, Kelee Ringo and Sydney Brown.
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