The Philadelphia Eagles took care of business against the Washington Commanders on Saturday night. Head coach Nick Sirianni's team left Maryland with a 29-18 win, and while they got the job done, the Eagles' latest effort left plenty of room for improvement.
Special teams haven't always been the Eagles' strongest suit this season, and it's safe to say the unit has a new concern. After watching Jake Elliott miss a couple of field goals, the veteran kicker's miscues can't be ignored any longer, especially as they're emerging at the worst possible time.
Eagles Must Solve Growing Jake Elliott Problem Before Playoffs
Including Saturday, the Eagles' kicker has now missed at least one field goal in five out of his last eight games. Elliott never had the longest range, but he's been particularly bad from 40-plus yards out, only going 10-of-17 (58.8%) from that range all season. Even so, Sirianni still believes in his ability to turn things around.
While that makes sense to a degree, it's not like Elliott has done much to earn the benefit of the doubt this season. He's 17-of-24 (70.8%) this season. He's missed three of nine field goals from 40-49 yards, and has been even worse from 50-59 yards (4-of-8 for a 50% success rate). No matter how you slice it, that type of performance doesn't give Eagles fans much confidence.
As The Athletic's Zach Berman also pointed out on X, Elliott is significantly below average in terms of field goal percentage around the league this season. When it comes to the NFL's averages in 2025, kickers are averaging an 85.4% success rate, 83.5% from 40-49 yards, and 67.4% from 50-59 yards.
"The conundrum is kicking is getting better around the NFL, and Elliott's numbers are worse," Berman wrote."
Granted, Elliott has been with the Eagles for nine years now, including two Super Bowl runs and one ring. He's also been much better in the postseason, logging 26-of-27 field goals, and his only miss was from 50-plus yards. He's earned his stripes in that locker room.
But if his struggles continue into the postseason, it'll be interesting to see if the Eagles will revisit Elliott's future. He's signed through the 2028 season with $18 million in cash left on his contract, per Spotrac. Having said that, Philadelphia has an out in the offseason that will only result in $2.6 million and $3.8 million in dead cap hits in 2026 and 2027, respectively, while creating over $2.2 million in savings for next season if he's cut or traded after June 1, 2026.
Still, we're talking about a team that has struggled to keep the chains in motion all year long. Their offense hasn't been as proficient as it was during the Kellen Moore era, and opposing defenses will be much better than the Commanders'. The Eagles won't have any margin for error, and they can't afford to have Elliott's miscues cost them when it matters the most.