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Braden Mann delivers on Eagles' historic offseason investment against Commanders
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- Braden Mann delivers on Eagles' historic offseason investment against Commanders
Braden Mann delivers on Eagles' historic offseason investment against Commanders originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles made a historic investment in Braden Mann and the punter position this offseason.
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In the team's season opener against the Commanders on Sunday, he started to validate their commitment to him.
Mann signed the largest contract for a punter in franchise history in March. According to Over the Cap, the four-year, $14 million contract made him the fifth-highest paid punter in the NFL in terms of annual average value ($3.5 million) and the fourth-highest in total value and guaranteed money ($8 million).
The investment the Eagles made in Mann was a relatively surprising one given how they've prioritized the position over the last decade.
Donnie Jones – the franchise's other Super Bowl-winning punter – was the last Eagles punter who signed a contract for a total of $5 million or more. Since then, the Birds have been relying on near minimum deals for punters including Cameron Johnston , Arryn Siposs and Mann himself.
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Mann also didn't necessarily have a 2025 season that demanded such a pay day. While he was fifth league-wide in average punt distance (49.9 yards) last season, he was middle of the pack in most other meaningful punting statistics.
The Texas A&M product was 11th among punters in average net punt yards (punt distance minus return yards), 15th in touchback rate and 20th in the rate of punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Mann was also 22nd in punter EPA (expected points added) according to Puntalytics and 26th in average hang time according to Pro Football Focus.
But Mann's play against the Commanders to open the 2026 season was early confirmation for the team's offseason investment in him.
The Eagles punted on seven of their 11 drives on Sunday, including four consecutive series spanning from the 12:58 mark in the second quarter until their final punt with 5:19 left in the third quarter.
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"Braden, you punted your a– off," Nick Sirianni said in his postgame address to the team.
Mann averaged 51.6 yards per punt. Four of his boots were downed inside the Commanders' 20-yard line, including a pair that dribbled out of bounds beautifully and another that settled in bounds at the Washington 2-yard line.
Sunday was just the second time in Mann's seven-year career that he averaged over 50 yards per punt and pinned four inside the 20 in a single game. He closed out the weekend first in the NFL with the most punts inside the 20.
His first punt of the day was a 46-yarder that dropped at the Commanders' 6-yard line and bounced right out of bounds.
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The second came from deeper in Eagles' territory (at their 28-yard line) and, that time, Mann sent the ball spiraling 64 yards. He struck the ball so well that he forced Washington's punt returner – Jaylin Lane – to retreat back to his own 8-yard line before catching it.
Mann's next punt went 62 yards with Lane fielding it within the Washington 10-yard line again before scampering upfield nine yards.
His final attempt before halftime pinned the Commanders at their own 2-yard line with 33 seconds left in the second quarter, effectively snuffing out any potential for a final scoring drive before the break.
The Eagles punter repeatedly buried Washington deep in its own territory. The only true blemish on his record came from his first punt of the second half when he shipped the ball 44 yards downfield. Lane's 19-yard return made the punt just a 25-yard net gain for the Birds. After the game, Sirianni explained that away as a "leakage" in coverage.
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"It's hard to be a good football team and not be good on punt, and it felt like we were good there," he added in his postgame press conference. "Braden punted the ball really well."
Sirianni and the Eagles surely want to rely on Mann far less often as the season progresses. But in the early days of adopting a revamped offensive scheme, Mann's field-flipping capability is a welcome safety blanket – and one that the Eagles paid for.
