Philadelphia special teams coordinator Michael Clay has been a mainstay on the coaching staff for a while now, with eight seasons in the city of brotherly love under his belt.
And while there were rumblings that he might be moving on this past off-season, Clay is back and energized to help lead this unit once again.
For Clay and company, Week 1's home opener against Washington provides a fresh start to build something strong this coming season in the all-important third phase of gameplay, and with a few personnel changes worth noting, it's going to be interesting to see how his collection of talent on special teams plays out in 2026.
Eagles' special teams could make or break Commanders Week 1 game
With the unveiling of the Week 1 depth chart, rookie Makai Lemon is poised for punt return duties in his regular season debut. While he muffed his one return in the final preseason matchup, one can chalk it up to relative rust, as Lemon was just returning from his hamstring injury. In his final season at USC, Lemon returned 6 punts for 71 yards, good for an average of 11.8 yards per return.
As Lemon continues to get integrated into the team's wideout room, he is on track to assume slot duties on offense. Right off the bat, though, the electric rookie can make his first major impact in Midnight Green by way of a few strong punt returns in Week 1.
Will Shipley is set to once again handle kick return duties, along with fellow backup running back Tank Bigsby. Both running backs have looked awesome this summer, with Shipley standing out in multiple practices. In the kick return phase, each will have the opportunity to put this Eagles offense in strong field position in Week 1.
In 2025, Shipley notched 29 kick returns for 777 yards (26.8 yards avg), with a team-best return of 41 yards in week 8 action against the Giants.
Meanwhile, Bigsby chipped in nine returns for 187 yards (20.8 yards avg), including a strong 31-yard return in Week 4's showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year.
While veteran special teams standout Britain Covey is currently on the practice squad, he could be in play as early as week 1. Covey is coming off a 2025 campaign with 5 kickoff returns for 125 yards (25.0 avg), and 11 punt returns for 124 yards (11.3 avg). The Eagles can elevate him to the 53-man roster at any moment. For now, he's a phone call away.
Punter Braden Mann and kicker Jake Elliott both resume their respective duties. Mann's stellar performance last season (49.9 yards per punt, 43.1 net yards per punt) earned him a new four-year contract.
Read more: Commanders have a trio of weak links for Eagles to target in Week 1
When it comes to Elliott, he's made some of the most memorable kicks in franchise history over the past decade, but he struggled to the tune of 74.1% on his field goal attempts last season, his lowest percentage since 2020. Clay still firmly believes in Elliott, and the veteran will get his first crack at returning to former glory with a strong Week 1 showing against Washington.
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