There has always been, in many instances, a big brother/little brother element in the Eagles' locker room, a key to the team's success through the years. When the veterans on the team care enough and are selfless enough to show younger players the way, transitions happen, careers are grown, seamless production takes place.

Zach Ertz to Dallas Goedert ... Jason Kelce to Cam Jurgens ... Fletcher Cox to Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter ... Darius Slay to Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. The list goes on and on, and it is a huge reason why the Eagles have been a championship contender for so many seasons.

There are similar stories happening now, and one of them is Marcus Epps and Andrew Mukuba. Epps is the eight-year veteran whose career has never been on a linear path – a sixth-round draft pick in Minnesota in 2019 who was released midway through his rookie season, picked up by the Eagles and a contributing player on the defense through the 2022 campaign, another move to Las Vegas for 2023 and 2024 before suffering a torn ACL, signed in New England for five months in early 2025, added to the Eagles' practice squad last season, promoted to the 53-man roster in late September ...

A lot of moves. Nothing given. Everything earned.

"That's the way it is in the NFL," Epps said after Military Day practice on Saturday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. "You just keep working and believing in yourself. Give it your best every day. That's all you can control."

Mukuba, the Eagles' second-round draft pick in 2025, played in 11 games with 10 starts in 2025 before a fractured ankle/fibula ended his season. He has already experienced some ups and some downs.

"Nothing is going to keep me down. I'm always going to keep fighting and playing the game I love," Mukuba said. "Having a guy like Marcus, he makes sure that I keep it real. Stay in the present. He's like my big brother and his perspective is important to me."

Says Epps: "Drew listens. He takes what people are saying seriously and he works at it. The things I've talked to him about, he has respected it and is working on getting his game better. Not every young player is like that. Some guys, they think they know before they know and those are the guys who have the most trouble."

In one of the hallways at The Jeff where players have their meetings, the safety room has images of both Epps and Mukuba. These are images that change year to year based on the roster, of course, and they have significance to players. There is a certain pride players take when they see themselves on the doors of the rooms or the walls in hallways.

Epps was pleased to see that he earned the distinction, but he understands the reality: "It's cool and everything and I feel honored, but I know that I still have to earn everything. That's the mentality I have. Nothing has ever been given to me and nothing will be given to me. Every day, I know I'm being challenged. That's what the NFL is all about."

For Mukuba, the pride is more tangible. His toddler son loves seeing daddy on the wall, and Mukuba beams when he talks about the experience.

Football is what bonds Mukuba and Epps. They are part of a safety room that is highly competitive and one that tends to involve a lot of personnel in the course of a season. The big brother/little brother relationship extends beyond just the two of them – Epps is the senior leader in the room and knows how important the bonds of the entire group will be to the success of the defense.

"It isn't about the two of us," Epps said. "It is about all of us – in the room, on the defense, with the entire team. We are here to support each other and help each other have good things happen. If you can't help the guy next to you, you really don't belong here. That's how this team is structured. That's how it has to be with the Eagles."