2 Eagles first-stringers in danger of losing starting jobs ahead of 2026 NFL season

After months and months of anticipation, the Philadelphia Eagles have officially returned to the field to prepare for the 2026 NFL season.

With the vast majority of their starters set to return, including as many as nine on either side of the ball, Nick Sirianni’s squad can pretty comfortably focus on the schematic adjustments that come with any new NFL season, especially with Sean Mannion taking over as offensive coordinator, instead of working in new players at positions of need.

And yet, while that is the case at most positions, there are a few newcomers who will be changing the math ever so slightly for established starters.

On offense, things are pretty well set, with rookie first-round pick Makai Lemon and new Jalen Hurts favorite Dontayvion Wicks stepping in for departing AJ Brown and Jahan Dotson, but on defense? Now, that is where things get a little more interesting, as there are two positions in particular where an incumbent could see their starting run ended by one of their teammates.

Marcus Epps

Arguably the biggest and maybe only true training camp battle the Eagles have heading into the 2026 NFL season is at free safety, where Vic Fangio is holding an open competition to decide on the safety spot next to Andrew Mukuba in his nickel defense.

In base, the spot is filled, with Cooper DeJean holding things down following the addition of Riq Woolen as CB2 in free agency, but when the All-Pro kicks it down into the slot, the Eagles need someone to hold things down next to the second-year Texas product.

After holding things down last season down the stretch, Marcus Epps is probably the favorite in and out of the Jefferson Health Training Complex, but one player who could take on a bigger role and maybe even usurp the Wyoming product entirely is Michael Carter II.

Earning his bag as a slot cornerback with the New York Jets, MC2 was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline but didn’t see much action, playing just 106 snaps for the Birds after amending his contract to make the deal work. Re-signing with Philadelphia back in the spring, Carter II was expected to earn some snaps at safety this summer – a position he played at times in college at Duke – and so far, the results have been encouraging.

Discussing what he’s seen from Carter II so far in camp, Fangio let it be known that he’s happy with what the veteran defensive back has brought to the table, especially considering he’s filled his plate with plenty to sink his teeth into.

“Michael’s had a good camp so far. He might be the only guy — I’d have to think — he’s learning three positions,” Fangio said. “He’s playing safety, nickel, and when we do go to our six-DB stuff, he’s the sixth DB in there. I think he’s had a very good camp and has done nothing but helped himself and not eliminating himself from anything. Safety, he’s progressing nicely.”

Because Carter II can play multiple positions and is cross-training as a do-it-all defensive back, he might not completely keep Epps off of the field this fall and “win” the free safety spot outright. But because the Eagles largely play some form of nickel, with DeJean splitting time between the slot and the box, MC2 has a chance to earn at least 50 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps if he can beat out Epps, which is a big jump from how often Fangio uses six defensive backs in the dime.

Nolan Smith

When the Eagles signed Jonathan Greenard to a four-year, $98 million contract after acquiring him during the 2026 NFL Draft, it was pretty safe to assume he’d be holding down one of the starting edge rusher spots in Fangio’s defense for the foreseeable future.

On paper, it makes sense, right? On a defense that is mostly filled with young, ascending players on rookie-scale contracts – though not for much longer – Greenard is one of just four players on a long-term, big-money contract alongside Zack Baun, Jalen Carter, and Jordan Davis, locking him in as the star edge rusher opposing offensive coordinators must plan for when Philadelphia comes up on the schedule.

But on the other side of the line? Well, that’s where things get interesting.

Now historically, Fangio likes to rotate his defensive ends, and will almost certainly give both Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt plenty of run in 2026 regardless of who technically gets the start at the beginning of the game. But for the sake of pedigree and future negotiations, one player will have to “win” the starting spot and thus have the inside track for a long-term contract with the Eagles next year.

Fortunately, because Greenard isn’t currently practicing with a pec injury, the Eagles have an inside track to see both Smith and Hunt line up as starters for the next month, noting how each player has progressed ahead of the 2026 season.

In 2025, Smith was expected to take a step forward after 2024 free agent signing Bryce Huff was traded away, but because he suffered a triceps injury that limited him to just 12 games of action, that didn’t really happen. Smith still played fairly well against the run, his calling card so far as an NFL pro, but his pass-rushing stats left something to be desired, amassing just 31 tackles for loss, 11 QB hits, and three sacks on the season.

Hunt, by contrast, actually did have a breakout season in 2025, even if it got a little underreported nationally due to Philadelphia’s general dysfunction.

Fresh off of sacking Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, Hunt did a little bit of everything for the Eagles, playing as well as a pass rusher as an outside linebacker dropped into coverage, recording 52 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, three(!) interceptions, and a touchdown over 17 games of action. Hunt looked like a certified playmaker regardless of where he was deployed, and as a result, Fangio was able to keep him on the field for 693 snaps, knowing he could cover in the flat as well as rush the passer off the edge.

With Smith’s fifth-year option already picked up, he’s guaranteed at least two more seasons in Philadelphia, the same as Hunt. But if the third-round pick out of Houston Christian once again outplays him all over the defense, Smith may be looking for a new team in 2028 while Hunt is playing on a contract worth 10 figures annually.

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