Anthony Harris Never Shut Door on the Eagles

PHILADELPHIA - Anthony Harris spent the summer thinking he’d be a starting safety for the Eagles in a second straight season.

When C.J. Gardner-Johnson was acquired on Aug. 30, however, that reality was gone and Harris went from the top of the depth chart to off the 53-man roster.

The precipitous fall had to do with roster building.

At 31, Harris hadn’t been a part of special teams in a serious way since 2018 in Minnesota while K’Von Wallace factored in as a key component of Michael Clay’s coverage units.

From there the organization grew smitten with undrafted rookie Reed Blankenship and didn’t want to expose his upside to waivers while players like Josiah Scott and Andre Chachere offered slot corner/safety/special teams versatility.

It was still a gamble, though, because if Jonathan Gannon needed someone other than Gardner-Johnson or Marcus Epps to play safety for significant snaps, Harris would have been his choice over all those names.

The gamble looked like it would pay off when Harris agreed to return to the practice squad before reversing course and asking out when Broncos GM George Paton, who was the assistant GM with the Vikings when Harris was discovered as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia, came calling with his own PS offer.

“I got a new opportunity," said Harris on Thursday. "I landed in Denver. Then it was just about building - how can I build myself up to be a better player, a better person, how can I help the team? That was my mindset.”

“I don’t know,” Harris answered when asked if there was any ill will about how things went down with the Eagles before explaining why he didn’t feel much disappointment with the organization.

“I guess experience, faith, and adversity in life. It really didn’t have much to do with football per se, but just character,” he said. “I look at it as adversity. Adversity, it goes up, it goes down.

"I try to stay consistent in who I am and not letting outcomes dictate my moves, dictate my habits unless it’s to improve for the better. For me, it’s evaluating where I’m at, evaluating the situation, and trying to figure out how to get better.”

Harris never closed the door on the Eagles and when injuries hit the safety position in Philadelphia, the veteran offered a comfort level to Gannon and the call was made.

“Injuries happen around the league," said Harris. "As a player, you try to stay ready for whatever. Whether you’re on a team, whether you’re waiting for an opportunity, whether you’re a starter, different things happen. It’s always about trying to be prepared, trying to make sure your body is in the right space, trying to make sure your mind is in the right space.

"If your mind’s there, the rest will take of itself.”

Gardner-Johnson is on injured reserve until at least Jan. 1 with a lacerated kidney and Blankenship will miss Sunday’s game in Chicago and is week-to-week moving forward with a sprained knee.

It’s conceivable Harris’ number is called vs. the Bears and even more so on Christmas Eve against Dallas. There's also a chance he's just a short-term stop-gap/insurance policy.

“I’m not sure about any of that," he said. "Really it’s just about me taking one day at a time. The longer you’re in this business the more you learn to take advantage of each opportunity and be in the moment. Enjoy the locker room and the guys you got because each year the team changes.”

A savvy player, Harris is a good communicator on the back end and fits in with what Gannon looks for in his zone-based coverages. From his perspective, he gets to chase a ring with what has been the NFL's best team.

“You never expect 12-1,” Harris said, “but I knew this team had a chance to be special. Jalen [Hurts] is an amazing leader, this is one of the best offensive lines I’ve ever seen, and the weapons. DeVonta, Dallas and A.J. Brown.

“As a defensive coordinator, it’s where do you start?”

As for his side of the ball, Harris kept tabs on the Eagles from Denver.

“Everything I was able to see from afar is everything I saw from close up,” he said. “The attitude last year just continuing to improve, staying hungry, always continuing to fight, trying to be very detailed in what we do.

"I think that message just continues to be pushed and guys continue to challenge themselves to be better each week as a team and an individual and in all the different phases.”

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen