SB #29

Sydney Brown

Safety · Illinois

A Super Bowl LIX champion safety and Illinois interception king, Sydney Brown was traded to Atlanta in a 2026 draft-pick swap with Philadelphia.

Sydney Brown is a safety who joined Atlanta via trade with Philadelphia in March 2026 after three seasons with the Eagles, including a Super Bowl LIX championship run. The identical twin brother of Bengals running back Chase Brown, Sydney led the Big Ten in interceptions as a senior at Illinois before Philadelphia drafted him in the third round.

★ Led Big Ten with 6 interceptions, Illinois, 2022

★ First-team All-Big Ten, Illinois, 2022

★ Third-round pick, 2023 NFL Draft (No. 66 overall)

★ Super Bowl LIX champion

★ 99-yard interception return touchdown, 2023

Path to the league

Brown led the Big Ten with six interceptions as a senior at Illinois in 2022, adding 59 tackles and seven pass breakups en route to first-team All-Big Ten honors, and closed his college career with two interceptions, a pick-six and a fumble-return touchdown in a single game against Northwestern. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted him in the third round, 66th overall, in the 2023 NFL Draft, one of five Illinois defensive backs drafted in a five-year span.

Career highlights

Brown returned a Kyler Murray interception 99 yards for a touchdown in Week 17 of his 2023 rookie season before a torn ACL in the regular-season finale ended his year. He won a Super Bowl LIX ring in the 2024 season as Philadelphia beat Kansas City 40-22, though a lingering recovery limited him to 11 games.

2025 season recap

Brown appeared in all 17 games for Philadelphia in 2025, starting three and recording 34 tackles, and returned a blocked punt 35 yards for a touchdown in Week 4 against Tampa Bay. Philadelphia traded him to Atlanta in March 2026 along with two draft picks in a swap for two other Falcons selections.