The Eagles may have been trying to keep the lid on their safety battle, but Vic Fangio’s latest comments sounded a lot like a clue.
Philadelphia is still sorting out one of its biggest camp decisions after Reed Blankenship left in free agency for the Houston Texans. Andrew Mukuba is set on one side, while the other spot has come down to Marcus Epps and Michael Carter II. Epps missed the first two preseason games, Carter started both, and the early feel around camp had already tilted toward Epps.
Fangio didn’t officially hand out the job when he met with reporters for the final time before camp ended, but he made it clear Carter is still in the learning phase.
“It’s close,” Fangio said via The Philly Special's Anthony DiBona. “Michael’s been doing a good job back there.
It’s just all new to him, and we need to get him more exposure, which is hard to do. But I do think Michael can eventually do it.”
That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for opening night, especially with Week 1 against the Washington Commanders looming. If Carter still needs more exposure, the safer bet is that Philadelphia leans on Epps to start.
Still, Carter has done enough to stay in the conversation. NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Dave Zangaro pointed to one of the better moments from the final training camp practice, when Carter picked off an Andy Dalton pass intended for Darius Cooper near the goal line. Andre’ Sam had tight coverage on the play, the ball popped up, and Carter was there to finish it off.
Zangaro also noted that the former Jets nickel corner has had a flashy camp while lining up at a few different spots, and Fangio said Wednesday that the safety competition between Carter and Epps still hadn’t been decided.
So while Epps looks like the front-runner, Carter hasn’t gone quietly. The job may already feel settled to a lot of fans, but Carter has given the Eagles reason to keep him in the picture, and he could still carve out a role in 2026.
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