The Eagles have officially hit the ‘attack’ button. It was announced today that the team have re-signed both Jake Elliott and Rick Lovato to one-year deals.
Elliott has been the Eagles kicker since September 2017, where the undrafted rookie was signed off of Cincinnati’s practice squad. It didn’t take him long to make an impact, either. With the game on the line, Elliott drilled a 61-yard field goal to send the Eagles to a win over the Giants, as well as setting a new franchise-record.
That’s not the only record he owns, however. Since joining the team, Elliott has performed consistently well and now holds the team record for most field goals of 50-plus yards (5) and notably, made the two longest field goals in a Super Bowl by a rookie, last February.
Elliott has interestingly kicked and converted (26/31) the exact same amount of field goals in both seasons with the Eagles, but he had two more game-winners to his name this season. He also recorded a season-high 12 points in the huge win over the Rams.
Long-snapper Rick Lovato joined the team toward the end in 2016 and has filled the void left by the amazing Jon Dorenbos. With a combined 37 regular season and post season appearances, Lovato has helped both Elliott and punter Cameron Jonhston find their groove and set records.
Special teams is a crucial cog for any team, but Dave Fipp and the Eagles take tremendous pride in their efficiency and it shows. Retaining the services of a kicker, in a league where 2018 saw what felt like more missed PAT’s and ‘makeable’ kicks than usual, is absolutely vital. The Eagles need stability at the kicker position and struggled to find it with Jake Elliott. Keeping the dream pairing who have quietly gone about their business to provide a sense of reliability in a world of ‘doinks’ and misses is a fantastic move by the team.
