Eagles Re-Sign Kicker Jake Elliott to Contract Extension, Tie NFL History
PHILADELPHIA – Age might matter when Howie Roseman goes shopping in free agency, but when it comes to his kicker, and probably kickers in general, it’s just a number. Same thing with his long snapper.
The Philadelphia Eagles general manager gave Jake Elliott a four-year contract extension on Wednesday, and Elliott just turned 29 in January. He set a team record last year by connecting on 93.8 percent of his field goals, including a career-tying 61-yarder against the Minnesota Vikings, to earn second-team Associated Press All-Pro honors.
A day earlier, Roseman extended the contract of Elliott’s long snapper, 31-year-old Rick Lovato. The GM made it a three-for-three sweep of his team’s kicking operation by giving a two-year deal to punter Braden Mann on Tuesday. Mann, who also holds on Elliott’s PATs and field goals, is just 26.
Elliott’s extension is worth $24 million. The $6M per-year average ties him with the Baltimore Raven's Justin Tucker for the highest-paid kicker in NFL history.
Jake Elliott
Ed Kracz/SI Eagles Today
The ultra-competitive Elliott will still be kicking in Philly when he’s 33, provided his leg doesn’t fall off or his accuracy suddenly goes awry.
That’s nothing compared to David Akers who kicked 12 years for the Eagles, and until he was 36.
Elliott will enter his seventh season with the Eagles after being signed off the practice squad of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017.
There has been no looking back for Elliott.
In his second game with his new team that year, he booted a 46-yard field goal with 54 seconds to play to even the score against the New York Giants at 24-24. Then, as time expired, Elliott drilled what was then a career-high 61-yard field goal to win the game 27-24 and move the Eagles to 2-1.
There were many twists and turns that season, but Elliott’s kick is viewed as one that helped propel the Eagles on a 12-game winning to launch them into Super Bowl LVII, which they won.
It was Elliott who put the Eagles ahead of the New England Patriots by eight points on the possession after Brandon Graham strip-sacked Tom Brady when he delivered from 46 yards away with 65 seconds left to play.
The points held up in a 41-33 win over Brady and the Pats that day as the Eagles hoisted the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in franchise history.
