What we know now about safety Reed Blankenship‘s time with the Philadelphia Eagles is that, maybe, it wasn’t as much fun for him as it was for everyone else.
Blankenship made that clear after he signed a 3-year, $24.75 million free-agent contract with the Houston Texans on March 9.
Now, on the eve of his 1st training camp with the Texans, Blankenship is drawing rave reviews for his short time with his new team.
“Blankenship was facing a monumental decision as football player, and a watershed moment in his life,” KPRC 2 Houston NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote. “Blankenship was accustomed to being overlooked during the outset of his professional football career. Now, the former Super Bowl champion is expected to be a big part of the Texans’ top-ranked defense.”
Blankenship drew raves from his teammates for his offseason work, with safety Kamari Lassiter, nickelback Jalen Pitre, and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. all praising their new teammate in talking with Wilson.
Houston brings back the NFL’s best defense from 2025 — a Super Bowl contender based almost entirely on that unit.
Reed Blankenship Didn’t Feel Wanted in Philadelphia
Eagles fans were surprised to hear Blankenship’s time in Philadelphia wasn’t as fun for him as it was for everyone else.
“I got a call from DeMeco and hearing what he had to say, I could tell that he wanted me, and I could tell that he really liked me as a player,” Blankenship said after signing with the Texans in March. “Obviously, we haven’t met, but I feel like he knows what my character is and what my personality is. You could tell that he really wanted me and really liked me. After we hung up, I was with my wife and I’m like, ‘I really feel like Houston really wants me.’ That honestly felt like the first time in my whole NFL career that somebody really wanted me as a player and as a person.”
That sounds like a pretty miserable time for Blankenship in Philadelphia, where he went from an undrafted free agent to one of the standouts on Philadelphia’s defense as a full-time starter for the last 3 seasons. That included a Super Bowl win following the 2024 season.
Blankenship’s terrible time in Philadelphia seemed like a direct contradiction to how the fans felt about him, as few players were as highly thought of or respected on the defense over the last few seasons.
Moving forward, Blankenship might not want to expect that same type of warmth from the city of Philadelphia or Eagles fans.
Eagles Fans React To Reed Blankenship’s Confession
As you can probably imagine, Philadelphia fans were left confused by Blankenship taking shots at his old team and city on his way out the door.
“Was literally a fan favorite here and we were the team to take a chance on him being a UDFA, but okay Reed,” Twitch streamer and Eagles fan Kei wrote on her official X account. “LOL.”
“Are we deadass?” The Philly Pod’s Victor Williams wrote on his official X account.
In Philadelphia, “deadass” means the same as “are you serious?”
“What?” Eagles fan Uncle Jut wrote on his official X account. “He was voted Captain of a Super Bowl team, and received an extension from the team. That’s a crazy take.”
“Bro the Eagles signed you undrafted in 2022, elevated you to a starter in 2023, extended you with guaranteed money in 2024, and voted you as a team captain in 2025,” Eagles Fan Central wrote on its official X account.
‘Overlooked’ Former Eagles Star Draws Raves From New Team