Ex-Eagles safety Anthony Harris spent the summer working with the team. What’s next? He still hasn’t retired.

Anthony Harris grabbed a microphone and stood in front of a small auditorium at Nicetown’s Edward T. Steel school Monday morning to welcome students back for the school year and give some words of wisdom.

The former Eagles safety had earlier been announced as a former NFL player, his football-playing career being recognized in the past tense. But despite it being nearly two years since his last NFL snap, and despite spending this past training camp not in pads but with the Eagles as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, Harris says he hasn’t officially retired.

“I just enjoy football,” said Harris, who turns 33 in October. “I’ll always continue to work out. If an opportunity comes, I’ll be grateful for it and I believe I’ll be ready for it.”

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For now, Harris is spending time doing things like his appearance on Monday, when he spoke to students and gave away backpacks, part of the work he does for his namesake foundation.

This summer also gave Harris a crash course in what life after playing football could look like. The fellowship with the Eagles, for whom Harris played in 2021 and rejoined briefly late in the 2022 season, gave him an opportunity to work with and be around some former teammates as well as younger players like the top new Eagles defensive backs, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

Harris said he has always been a player who enjoyed helping younger guys on the roster during his stints in Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Denver. Players used to joke that he was like a coach, he said.

Though DeJean spent a large portion of training camp working his way back from a hamstring injury, Harris said he connected with the rookie on the sidelines and spoke with him about the long journey of playing in the NFL, stressing the importance of taking care of your body. With Mitchell, Harris said he was impressed with his immediate versatility.

“Whether it’s playing corner, learning inside at nickel, he took it very well and handled all of it with composure and competed each day,” Harris said.

While Harris gave back Monday morning, his former team was figuring out its 53-man roster, a process Harris knows well. He was a surprise cut in 2022 after the Eagles traded for C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The Eagles signed him to their practice squad the next day, but the two sides parted ways a week later, and Harris later signed with the Broncos, for whom he played four games before later rejoining the Eagles.

The Eagles could have some surprise cuts on their way to 53 players. There are veterans like James Bradberry and Parris Campbell who could be on the wrong side of the roster math, too.

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“I tell guys to just enjoy the game while you’re out there, continue to prepare, continue to have a positive attitude and things will go the way they’re supposed to go,” Harris said.

That sentiment was later shared with the students Harris spoke to. He recalled sitting in seats like they were and listening as former Eagles receiver and fellow Richmond native Billy McMullen spoke to his class. McMullen, Harris said, told his classmates to believe in themselves. There was at least one student, McMullen said to Harris’ class, who would hear his words and believe them.

“He doesn’t know it, me and him have never met, but that one person he was talking about was me,” Harris told the students at Edward T. Steel. “I’m a strong believer of, if you want to accomplish something, it’s really up to you.”

The fellowship with the Eagles is over, and Harris said he’s not sure what’s next. The Richmond, Va., native is spending time with family and continuing to work out. He knows he wants to stay engaged with the game and share his story of going from an undrafted free agent to earning more than $20 million playing in the NFL. He said he liked working with the Eagles’ organization this summer but also said he could see a future where he coaches in a more individualized setting.

“I enjoy talking football, talking X’s-and-O’s,” Harris said. “I enjoyed being part of success as a player but also enjoyed being part of other people’s success.

“In that realm, I see me sharing my gifts and my knowledge that I have and passing it on to guys so they can go out there, play the game that they love, and be able to provide for their families.”