PHILADELPHIA — During the last two months of his rookie season, Eagles second-round pick Drew Mukuba struggled with the disappointment of his year being cut short.
After making too many mistakes in the first seven weeks, the 23-year-old safety became more consistent during the second half of the season.
But then everything came to a halt in Week 12. In the final minutes of the team’s loss to Cowboys, Eagles safety Sydney Brown landed on Mukuba’s leg, causing it to bend awkwardly. Later that night, Mukuba was diagnosed with a season-ending fractured fibula.
Now, Mukuba is in the beginning stages of that recovery, doing his best to stay positive.
“Really trying to find comfort and probably just going to sleep and just moving around (was challenging at first),” Mukuba said last week. “I was on my couch for a while, so that was pretty hard. I couldn’t sleep sometimes. But I got past that, though. That was probably the hardest thing I had to deal with, to be honest with you. … But once I got over that, everything got a lot better. I’m finally able to walk and able to do everything I need to do.”
Mukuba said he hopes to be ready for spring practices.
He is expected to make a bigger impact during his second NFL season and could take on more responsibilities if Reed Blankenship leaves in free agency.
His ability to force turnovers could make Philadelphia’s defense even more dangerous next year. He amassed two interceptions in 11 games and would have likely snagged a few more if he hadn’t gotten hurt.
“I hate that it happened,” Mukuba said about his rookie season getting cut short. “But it’s the game, and I can’t control it now. I’ve seen everything I need to see from my perspective. Just go back to the offseason, build from there and get better.”
Mukuba said he studied film and his playbook while he was out. In a few weeks, the boot on his foot will come off, and his recovery will ramp up.
“As a competitor, you want to be out there with the guys, playing with the guys and enjoying just playing football,” Mukuba said. “It’s tough … I had no choice but to sit back and just cheer from afar and just root for those guys.”