Justin Evans talks signing with the Eagles, his unique NFL career, and more

The Eagles added a new safety, Justin Evans, who has had a unique NFL career thus far — missing three seasons due to injury and then returning to the game in 2022 with the Saints. Evans spoke to reporters on Wednesday, and talked about signing with the Eagles, a bit about his injury journey, and his role with the team.

He was asked about having the same agent as C.J. Gardner-Johnson and kind of stepping into his role, but Evans said that other than them both leaving New Orleans to come to Philly, they have two separate journeys and careers.

Here’s what the safety had to say:

On signing with the Eagles

Evans said it was a relatively simple process, and he had a couple of options, but along with his agent and family, he felt like Philadelphia was the right place for him with the best opportunity. He went on to say that it was just a feeling that the Eagles were the best place for him to sign.

“If you watch the tape, you see what type of player you’re getting, but just for me, if I had to say, you’re just getting somebody who just wants to compete, wants to be here, wants to have fun. Just getting a guy that wants to be here.”

On his 3 years away from the game

“It was humbling for sure, but you just learn a lot. Figure out a lot about yourself, about your life, about who you are, and then once you kind of mold that into shape, you could just kind of piece others parts of your life together. And I just kind of got back into it and was blessed, man.”

Evans went on to say that when the game was taken away from him, it made him see things differently and play with a different mentality now. As for what was harder to work through during his injury process, the safety noted that the physical part is just the work you put in, but the majority of it was mental.

While things for him may have changed mentally post-injury, he said that he’s still the same player on the field, if not better.

On his role with the Eagles

Evans said he didn’t have any kind of plan for what his role will be with the team, and is just going to show up and compete.

As for playing in the slot last season with the Saints, he said that was new for him and something he developed during the season, but he likes it.