Reed Blankenship has been a fan-favorite since joining the Eagles out of Middle Tennessee State in 2022 as an undrafted free agent. Since making the active roster, Blankenship has worked his way into the starting lineup as a rookie, becoming a key piece in the defensive backfield ever since.
As Blankenship goes into Week 14, he's recently experienced a string of games that have severely put his long-term future with the Eagles in jeopardy. Going into the third year of his rookie contract (three-year $2,565,000), Blankenship signed an extension keeping him locked in with the Eagles for the 2025 season with $3.9 million guaranteed.
Jake Rabadi recently looked through Blankenship's PFF grades, which show a story of Blankenship's vulnerability for a long-term contract with the Eagles.
Is all good with Blankenship after the season, though?
He currently holds an overall grade of 39.9 (third worst) and a coverage grade of 30.1 PFF (second worst) amongst safeties. While PFF grades aren't the end-all, be-all, they could be used as an indicator when it's time for contract negotiations.
In addition to his poor PFF grades, Blankenship has been targeted heavily, allowing 20 completions on 30 attempts (66.7%) for 277 yards and three touchdowns, which is good for a passer rating of 115.6 against him. Blankenship's saving grace this year has been his above-average tackling ability, which has him third on the team with 64.
While Blankenship's coverage has been suspect, it is worth noting that he has been dealing with an injury, in addition to the barrage of injuries taking place in the Eagles' secondary. His "running mate," rookie Andrew Mukuba, is currently on injured reserve, with his spot being filled by the erratic Sydney Brown, along with the ability to find competent play at the team's second cornerback position across from Quinyon Mitchell. Blankenship's struggles may not be entirely on him, but the entirety of the Eagles' defensive secondary is limping their way to the end of the regular season.
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Regardless of the overarching reasons for Blankenship's play, he and the Eagles will be forced to have difficult conversations about his future with the team. As one of the leaders in the Eagles' young defense, Blankenship may take a "discount" to remain with the team; however, the length of the contract might be an issue as well.