State Of The Eagles’ Special Teams
The Philadelphia Eagles will go into the 2022 season with the special teams unit staying the same from a year ago. This group had mixed success last season. The Eagles had a Pro Bowl kicker but struggled in punting and in the return game. Here is the state of the Eagles’ special teams for the 2022 season.
Kicker: Jake Elliott
The Eagles are lucky to have Jake Elliott as their kicker who has been with the team since Week Two of the 2017 season. Elliott played his college football for Memphis before being originally drafted by the Bengals. The Eagles signed him following the injury of their original kicker, Caleb Sturgis. Elliott immediately became a fan favorite after his 61-yard game winning field goal against the Giants on September 24, 2017. This remains the longest field goal in franchise history and the longest ever by an NFL rookie.
Jake Elliott has a career 84% field goal percentage and a 95% extra point percentage. He is a perfect 11 for 11 in postseason field goal attempts. Elliott had the best season of his career in 2021 earning him a trip to his first Pro Bowl. Last season, Elliott went 30/33 in field goals and 44/44 in point after tries. The Eagles should be in good hands with Jake Elliott returning for his sixth season in Philadelphia.
Punter: Arryn Siposs
Arryn Siposs was born in Australia and got his playing career started in the Australian Football League. After five years in the AFL, he came to the United States to be the punter for Auburn University. Siposs was among college football’s best punters before going pro.
The Eagles signed Arryn Siposs right before the 2021 season. Last season, he punted 55 times with an average punt of 43.9 yards. This ranked as 26th in the NFL. His average net punt was 38.8 yards which ranked 24th. Siposs is a below average punter, but last season was equivalent to his rookie year in the NFL. The Eagles did not bring in any competition for him this offseason, so hopefully he will get better in 2022.
Long Snapper: Rick Lovato
Rick Lovato has been the Eagles’ long snapper since 2017 after replacing fan favorite, Jon Dorenbos. He was born in Neptune, New Jersey and attended Old Dominion to play his college football. Lovato had brief stints in Chicago, Green Bay, and Washington before finding his home with the Philadelphia Eagles. He is under contract through the 2024 season.
Lovato has appeared in every game for the Eagles since 2017. He was a part of the Super Bowl 52 championship team and was selected to the Pro Bowl during the 2019 season. The Eagles have one of the NFL’s best long snappers in Rick Lovato.
Return Specialist: Jalen Reagor
Jalen Reagor has been one of the most disappointing Eagles’ players since getting drafted out of TCU in 2020. He has just 676 receiving yards and three touchdowns through his first two NFL seasons. Reagor has not met expectations as a receiver but has not done much better as a returner.
In 2021, Jalen Reagor averaged 21.3 yards per kickoff-return and 7.3 yards per punt return. This ranked 29th and 28th in the NFL which is near the bottom of the league. Reagor also had two muffed punts in the playoff game against the Buccaneers. Reagor’s special teams woes and poor production has hurt the Eagles.
The Eagles upgraded the receiver position this offseason but did not bring in much competition for Reagor on special teams. The only name to watch is undrafted free agent, Britain Covey. Covey is an undersized yet talented player with plenty of speed. He scored multiple return touchdowns for Utah over the course of his college career. Covey will battle for a roster spot while Reagor will look to remain a part of the Eagles going forward.