Eagles Elevate Fan Favorite Onto The 53-Man Roster

PHILADELPHIA - With another chilly and windy day expected at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday, the Eagles are not messing around when it comes to the punt returner position, elevating Britain Covey to the 53-man roster Wednesday afternoon.

The 8-3 Eagles will be hosting the 8-3 Chicago Bears on Black Friday in a battle of first-place teams in the NFC.

To make room on the roster for Covey, the Eagles placed injured safety Drew Mukuba on injured reserve with a fractured ankle.

The team’s primary punt returner in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Covey led the NFL with 417 PR yards in the '23 campaign and finished as the only player with multiple 50-yard returns while also leasing the league with 16 returns in double digits.

The Utah product signed with the Los Angeles Rams in the offseason after an injury-plagued 2024 campaign. He was one of the final cuts of the Rams this summer before returning to Philadelphia and the practice squad.

Despite Covey’s presence, the Eagles decided to start the season with Jahan Dotson as the primary punt returner. The WR3 returned five punts for 48 yards with a long of 16, often playing it safe with 12 fair catches.

Injury Sparks Change

Philadelphia claimed return specialist Xavier Gipson off waivers from the New York Giants on Sept. 22, and the speedster got in the field by Oct. 19 at Minnesota.

Gipson had been performing well with six returns for 67 yards before a miscue during a 24-21 loss at Dallas last Sunday. The Stephen F. Austin product retreated to the two-yard line to secure a punt and ended up fumbling at the eight-yard line after a big hit.

The Eagles’ defense was able to force a four-and-out by Dallas despite the poor circumstances.

“Now I owe [defensive coordinator] Vic [Fangio] a nice bottle of wine for getting us out of that predicament,” special teams coordinator Michael Clay said. “It was one of those things where we can’t put our offense in a bad situation, whether it’s penalties, we can’t put our defense in a bad position when it’s turning the ball over that deep at the juncture of the game.”

Gipson also hurt his shoulder on the play and hasn’t been able to practice this week.

Enter Covey, who also changed back to uniform No. 18, his original number, after a stint with 85 on the PS.

“You’re very fortunate when you have a guy of that nature on the practice squad just in case this does happen,” Clay said Tuesday. “Obviously, he’s doing a tremendous job of running the scout team for the defense and for us in between practices, say the offense is going, he’ll come over and catch a couple punts from Braden [Mann] just to stay sharp.”

Covey’s ability to stay sharp ill be tested in less-than-kind conditions if the weather forecast holds up.

“Britain’s a consummate pro,” Clay said. “He’s getting ready like he’s going into the game even if his number is not called up.”

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