Sydney

Brown

The promising young player brings added depth to the Eagles’ secondary. He will likely be eased back into things as he returns from his 2023 ACL tear but hopefully, Brown is able to meaningfully contribute down the stretch.

Brown has been battling to return from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 18 last season. The former third-round pick started in six of the 14 games he appeared in last year, totaling 45 tackles, 1 TFL, one interception, and one forced fumble. With his window to return opening this week, Brown will have 21 days for the team to activate him or rule him out for the remainder of the season.

Brown suffered a torn ACL in Week 18, so a return before Week 1 would be surprising. When asked by a reporter if Sirianni expected Brown to return at some point in the preseason, Sirianni said it wouldn’t be fair to put a timeline on Brown’s return, given the nature of his injury. In his first season as a pro, Brown started six of the 14 games he appeared in, totaling 45 tackles, one forced fumble, and an interception he returned 99 yards for a score. He’ll likely open the year on injured reserve, making him a candidate to return after the first month of the season.

The report comes from The Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski. A 2023 third-round draft pick, Brown began his career as a special teams player but was thrust into action following the Eagles’ spate of injuries in the secondary. Brown’s volatile play yielded the highest catch rate allowed among Eagles safeties (87.5 percent) and a memorable 99-yard pick six against the Arizona Cardinals on New Year’s Eve. His season ended with a Week 18 ACL tear, making a Week 1 return unlikely. He is a candidate to remain on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list entering the regular season which would keep sidelined until after the Eagles’ Week 5 bye week.

Safety Sydney Brown was also removed from the injury report. Both news items are big wins for an Eagles secondary that has been ravaged by injuries this year. Slay missed Week 6 with the knee issue but was a full participant in practice today, so he should be able to play without any limitations. Jalen Carter, who also missed last week, is back in action as well.

Brown (5’10/211) is the twin brother of Illinois RB Chase Brown who has been a staple of the program for five years spanning 3,168 snaps, 319 tackles, 26 PBU, and 10 interceptions to go with three All-Big Ten nods. His NFL Draft stock soared this year in Illinois’ top-3 rated defense when Brown racked up 13 PBU and six interceptions, earning Second-Team All-American honors. The rocked-up Brown lined up primarily in the box where he posted 25 stops with a sensational 49.6 NFL Passer Rating when targeted as he reinforced the front-seven with authority. Arguably the freakiest safety in the class, Brown ran a scorching 4.47s 40 (94th%), 1.50s 10-yard split (99th%) along with a 40.5” vertical (97th%), and 10’10” broad (98th%). Toss in a ridiculous 23 bench reps (95th%) and you’ve got a 9.68 RAS that shows off exactly the kind of athleticism he brings to the table. The fact he didn’t do agility tests is not surprising, as his change-of-direction ability and 18% missed tackle rate are worrisome. However, his special teams acumen and ability to cover backs and tight ends at an advanced level from the box are NFL-worthy.