Of the many upbeat soundbites provided by Philadelphia Eagles special teams coach Michael Clay during the team's recent press conference, his respect and admiration for standout punter Braden Mann resonated with plenty of gratitude.
Clay spoke about his punter's contract extension, his massive impact on the special teams unit, and the added pressures of being a drafted special teams player, which Mann has responded to with flying colors.
"I could talk about Braden for days on end," Clay said. "First of all, I'm very happy that he's back."
"Braden's earned everything he's worked for. Obviously, being a drafted punter, there's always a spotlight on you., you know, you have to perform because, someone persay 'wasted' a draft pick on a specialist, but coming out of college, Braden was that guy coming out of Texas A&M. Him being able to come back, after being cut by the Jets, spending a camp with Pittsburgh, then coming in Week 3 or Week 4 of 2023 and doing nothing but excel since coming in, just kudos to him."
Braden Mann has reached a new level in midnight green
Mann has continued to power his way up the punter rankings in each season in Philadelphia. After being drafted by the Jets in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Houston, Texas, product averaged 45.5 yards per punt over his first three seasons in New York.
After moving on from New York and not sticking with Pittsburgh, Mann's punting prowess has ascended to an entirely new level in Philadelphia. His past three seasons have included marks of 49.8 yards per punt in 2023, 48.8 in 2024, and a resounding 49.9 yards per punt this past season.
Furthermore, his net yards per punt have never been lower than 42.8 as an Eagle, another significant improvement from his time as a Jet, where his best net topped out at 40.6 yards per punt.
He not only brings power but also precision and unwavering consistency to the unit. The benefit of having such a reliable, gifted weapon in the special teams phase is something the Eagles don't take lightly, having locked Mann up to that four-year extension back in March.
Read more: Vic Fangio's subtle hint shows Eagles undrafted rookie could win crucial job
And Clay, more than anyone, knows just how valuable the former Aggie is.
Add us as a preferred source on Google