Philadelphia Eagles: Howie Roseman’s most idiotic move involves a kicker

This won’t help any Philadelphia Eagles fan develop a better opinion of Howie.

If nothing else in 2020, the Philadelphia Eagles have taught us something this season. There is no more truth to the phrase ‘a win is a win’. The truth is that, while there are ‘ugly wins’, it’s completely reasonable to watch your favorite team pull one out and then wake up the following morning with very real concerns.

Seriously, if you watched the ‘Birds’ manufacture a late-game comeback versus the New York Giants in Week 7 on Thursday Night Football, and you still came away feeling like you were a little uneasy, no one would blame you. Ignoring reality is what Dallas Cowboys fans do.

With that being said, Philly has a lot to fix before their next game, but there’s an issue. There are some things that feel like they can’t be fixed. Then, there are a few other issues that die-hard fans would hope equate to nothing more than a ‘slump’. That’s where Jake Elliott comes in.

The NFL is truly a ‘what have you done for me lately league’, and lately, the results Philly has gotten from Elliott aren’t good. He hasn’t regressed. He’s fallen off of a cliff.

Analyzing the resume of the Philadelphia Eagles’ kicker.

Once upon a time, Jake Elliott was one of the more beloved Eagles on the roster. Then, 2020 rolled around. There was that miss versus the Washington Football Team in Week 1. No one was happy, but Elliott got a pass. It was Week 1. There was no preseason, and Jake got it together. ‘4’ was automatic from Week 2 to Week 4, nailing all six of his field-goal attempts and every extra-point attempt versus the Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, and San Francisco 49ers.

Then came the road game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jake missed again, but everyone laughed it off. After all, no one makes those long kicks at Heinz Field, but Eliott came home a week later. Things have gotten real. In two home games and in consecutive weeks, Jake has missed an important field goal, and he’s done it at the worst times.

In Week 6 versus the Ravens, everyone knows what happened. ‘4’ missed one from beyond 50 yards. Again, it was disappointing but not tragic. In Week 7, versus the New York Giants, and virtually with no wind, Jake Elliott missed again. This one was a chipshot.

In a press conference leading up to that game, Eagles special teams coordinator Dave Fipp stated he wasn’t worried. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said the same thing following Philly’s most recent win, but no one else shares that confidence. The easiest theory would be to state that ‘Jake Elliott needs to go’. The more factual theory is this one. The ‘Birds’ can’t afford to get rid of Jake Elliott, literally.

The Philadelphia Eagles are stuck with this guy folks.

On November 27th of 2019, Eagles vice president and general manager Howie Roseman signed Elliot to a five-year, $21.8 million contract extension with the Eagles that carries him through the 2024 season. That deal also made him the third-highest paid kicker in the NFL at the time. The ink is barely dry on that one, so here’s what you need to know if you’re a ‘Birds’ fan.

Philly can’t move on from Jake Elliott. They can’t afford to. According to Spotrac, the ‘Birds’ have an escape clause in his deal, but it doesn’t kick in until after the 2021 season. In 2020, Elliott represents a cap hit of $2.6 million and $7.9 million in dead cap money. In 2021, he represents a cap hit of $3.3 million and $5.3 million in dead cap money. That’s a long-winded way of saying two things.

One, cutting Jake Elliott is an expensive move, one that can’t happen to a team with so many financial restrictions. Second, you can add this to a list of bad moves by good old Howie. A fan base that is still struggling with watching a very rich Alshon Jeffery, Jason Peters, and DeSean Jackson sit idle now has to watch with bated breath every time Jake Elliott lines up for a field goal. What’s sad is this. No one even knows if a 29-yarder is automatic anymore.