Howie Roseman doubles down on questionable decision that may cost the Eagles multiple key wins next season
They may not start a new chapter where it could be necessary on the roster.
The murmurs for a new kicker in Philadelphia got a bit louder last season. The long-time, impressive starter for the Philadelphia Eagles, Jake Elliott, had a second season in a row that did not live up to expectations from himself or the fan base.
Now, plenty of people are wondering if a change will be made there. According to Howie Roseman, it doesn’t seem like that’s at the forefront of Philly’s offseason plans.
Howie Roseman defends Jake Elliott during NFL Scouting Combine
During his media availability this week, the Eagles GM made sure to support kicker Jake Elliott. IT did not sound like he’s considering moving on from the experienced kicker, even after fans pushed for his release during last season.
“I think that Jake has been a tremendous kicker for us since we got him off practice squad in Cincinnati in 2017. Tremendously clutch,” Roseman noted. “Have a lot of confidence in him as a player, as a kicker, as a person, a captain on our team and continue to believe in him as our place kicker.”
Elliott is now 31 years old. He is potentially the greatest kicker in Eagles team history due to his playoff success and winning pedigree. After a 93.8 FG made percentage in 2023, Elliott has hobbled to a 77.8% and 74.1% mark over the past two years. Those have been a far cry from his earlier dominance with the Birds.
Elliott went 20/27 on field goals (74.1%) last season. His long distance kicking was league’s worst. Elliott went 4/8 on attempts from 50+ yards, the worst FG percentage in the NFL among the 35 kickers who attempted at least 5 from that range.
The issues have seemingly become a trend for the veteran boot, and a change may help the Eagles find more success on the scoreboard next season.
Salary cap implications if Eagles chance course and release Elliott
- Pre-June 1 cut: An additional $6 million in dead cap space, raising his cap hit from $4.893 million to $10.919 million for next season.
- Post-June 1 cut: An additional $2.2 million in dead cap space, raising his cap hit from $4.893 million to $7.063 million for next season.
- via OverTheCap
Philadelphia must take a hard look in the mirror when it comes to their future at kicker. Bringing in more competition should be, at minimum, a goal for this offseason when it comes to Elliott’s role as the starter.
The Eagles cannot afford to lose games in 2026 due to lackluster long range FG kicking, and it is tough to see Elliott shaking that stigma at this point of his career.
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