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ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles signed safeties Marcus Epps and J.T. Gray to 1-year contracts Friday afternoon.
The Philadelphia Eagles were very busy in the safety market Friday. Less than an hour after trading safety Sydney Brown to the Atlanta Falcons, the Eagles signed two safeties to 1-year contracts — Marcus Epps and J.T. Gray.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first insider to report the Eagles inking Epps and Gray to new deals.
“More safety moves: after trading safety Sydney Brown to the Falcons earlier Friday, the Eagles now have reached agreement on one-year deals with safeties Marcus Epps and J.T. Gray,” wrote Schefter. “Epps spent last season with the Eagles, Gray with the Bucs, Broncos and Ravens.”
Epps spent last season with the Eagles. He appeared in 12 games, starting four of them for Philadelphia.
Overall, Epps posted 21 combined tackles, including one for loss.
Gray appeared in regular season games for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2025. He posted three combined tackles while playing entirely on special teams.
During 2021, Gray made first-team All-Pro with the New Orleans Saints as a special teams player. He also made second-team All-Pro while a member of the Saints in 2024.
Eagles Sign Marcus Epps, J.T. Gray: Report
Philadelphia elected to part ways with Brown to improve its draft position on Day 3 this year. The Eagles didn’t make that move, though, without a backup plan at safety.
General manager Howie Roseman not only brought back Epps but also added a top special teams contributor in Gray. Both will add safety depth to Philadelphia’s secondary.
The Eagles signed Epps to their practice squad after the New England Patriots waived him at the end of the 2025 preseason. Epps eventually earned a regular spot on Philadelphia’s roster.
He played 250 defensive snaps and 119 snaps on special teams last season.
Epps also played for the Eagles from 2020-22. He started at safety for the team in 2022 when they were NFC champions.
During that 3-year stint, Epps posted 203 combined tackles, including four tackles for loss. He also had 15 pass defenses and three interceptions.
Gray will be a new addition for the Eagles secondary. But Philadelphia is likely adding the eight-year veteran to primarily play special teams.
Since joining the league in 2018, Gray has played more than 2,200 snaps on special teams. At safety, he’s only played 153 snaps.
Gray spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Saints. In his first campaign outside New Orleans last fall, Gray played five combined games for the Broncos and Buccaneers.
Eagles Trade Safety Sidney Brown to Atlanta Falcons
Again, Philadelphia added Epps and Gray after parting with Brown.
Thanks to the trade, the Eagles will now pick earlier in the fourth and sixth round next month.
Adding Epps and Gray ensured the Eagles didn’t have only one healthy safety on their offseason roster. However, there’s a couple caveats to that fact.
Philadelphia has defensive back Michael Carter II officially listed as a cornerback, but he can play safety. The same is the case with Cooper DeJean.
In a perfect world, DeJean will primarily play in the slot next season. But he can also play safety if need be.
Furthermore, the Eagles have safety Andrew Mukuba on the roster although he’s recovering from a fractured ankle.
While the Eagles ensured to add depth immediately after trading Brown, dealing Brown could still indicate the team expects Mukuba to return healthy sooner rather than later.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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