The Eagles suffered two major injury setbacks in Sunday’s win against the Redskins and while the future still appears clouded at cornerback, the team have acted hastily in finding a replacement for Caleb Sturgis according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Sources: The #Eagles are signing K Jake Elliott off the #Bengals practice squad and placing K Caleb Sturgis on Injured Reserve (to return).
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 12, 2017
On Sunday, Caleb Sturgis connected with multiple 40+ yard kicks for the first time since November last year, despite an early missed extra point. It was revealed one day after the game that Sturgis had suffered a hip flexor injury and will miss four weeks. Doug Pederson stated that he would be working out kickers during the week, but they appear to have their man.
Jake Elliott was drafted in the fifth round by the Bengals this year and entered a battle with Randy Bullock, a battle he eventually lost. The former Memphis kicker wound up on the team’s practice squad to develop, only to be snatched by the Eagles today.
In preseason, Elliott showed his leg strength, connecting with several long-distance kicks. It just so happened that Randy Bullock was a little more clinical throughout camp where Elliott missed several PAT’s and mid-long range field goals. Here’s a breakdown of Elliott’s preseason campaign.
| Player | PAT | FG | 0-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50+ | Lg | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Elliott | 2/2 | 4/7 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 2/2 | 1/3 | 1/2 | 50 | 14 |
At Memphis, he became the school’s all-time leading scorer and set records for total field goals made and those from beyond the 50 yard mark. Last season he made 21-of-26 field goal attempts. Elliott surprisingly did not miss a single extra point throughout his career, making 202 consecutive attempts.
Consistency is key, but the Eagles have already missed an extra point this season and have taken a long time to find stability at the kicker spot. Will Elliott provide that, and what will his future be upon the return of Sturgis? Only time will tell.
Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
