Marcus Epps Put On Notice By Eagles Ahead Of Monday Night Game Against Chicago Bears
A 44.9 PFF grade. Three missed tackles. The lowest overall score among all Eagles players in Week 2. Marcus Epps needs a strong performance against the Bears tonight or his starting spot could be in jeopardy.
The Philadelphia Eagles travel to Soldier Field tonight for Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears, and one player is entering the game with considerably more on the line than a simple 3-0 record. Safety Marcus Epps received a 44.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus after Week 2's narrow win over the Tennessee Titans, the lowest mark among any Eagle in the game, including grades of 26.3 in tackling, 46.4 against the run and 52.2 in coverage. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio did not shield him from accountability when speaking to reporters this week. "Marcus had some plays that he would like to have back, both against the pass and the run, and he'll bounce back," Fangio said. The qualifier at the end of that sentence is doing a lot of work.
Fangio has ruled out moving Cooper DeJean to safety full-time, but the presence of Kelee Ringo and Mac McCain, both slot cornerbacks the Eagles believe could handle safety responsibilities, means Epps is playing with no safety net. His nine tackles through two weeks represent serviceable numbers in isolation. The missed assignments and blown coverage lanes are what have generated the concern.
What Epps Needs to Show Against the Bears Tonight
Chicago enters Week 3 at 1-1 after a stunning 9-3 loss to the Vikings and Brian Flores' defence, reversing their own 59-point performance in the opener. The Bears are expected to be without Caleb Williams after his hamstring injury in that Minnesota game, with Case Keenum starting at quarterback. The Philadelphia defence should not be significantly tested by Keenum's arm, but Ben Johnson's offence, even with a backup quarterback, creates complexity through motion and formation that consistently puts safeties in difficult decision-making positions.
Marcus Epps' Role in the Eagles' 2026 Season
Epps, 30, is in his eighth NFL season, all with Philadelphia, after going undrafted from Wyoming in 2019. He appeared in 12 games last season, recording 21 tackles without a pass deflection or takeaway, generally serviceable but unremarkable. The Eagles did not upgrade the safety position dramatically in the offseason, which means Epps remains the starter by default rather than by demonstrated dominance. Tonight is his clearest opportunity so far to make the choice feel obvious in his favour.