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Philadelphia Eagles punter Braden Mann.
It seemed like every Philadelphia Eagles fan’s offseason wish list included 1 person in particular in terms of bringing back free agents, and that was a hope the team would find a way to re-sign punter Braden Mann.
“I need that Eagles Braden Mann, elite, field-flipping punter signing,” Philadelphia SN’s David Neisz wrote on his official X account on March 10.
The Eagles made that hope a reality and made Mann 1 of the NFL’s highest-paid punters in the process.
“Punting paydays continue: Eagles free-agent punter Braden Mann is signing a four-year, $14 million extension, including $7 million guaranteed to return to Philadelphia, per sources,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account.
It’s a huge leap for Mann, who had approximately $6.5 million in career earnings through his first 6 seasons in the NFL.
From the Eagles’ official X account: “He’s the MANN! We’ve agreed to terms on a four-year deal with P Braden Mann.”
I need that Eagles Braden Mann, elite, field-flipping punter signing.
Dominant in College, Dominant in the Pros
Mann, 5-foot-11 and 198 pounds, was the dominant punter in college football during his time at Texas A&M, where he was a 2-time All-SEC pick, a unanimous All-American, SEC Special Teams Player of the Year and won the Ray Guy Award.
He also set college football records for single-game punting average, single-season punts of 60-plus yards, and single-season punting average.
The New York Jets drafted Mann in the 6th round (No. 191 overall) of the 2020 NFL draft, and he led the NFL in punting yards as a rookie. Mann played for the Jets for 3 seasons before he was waived by both the Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers before landing on the practice squad for the Eagles.
Mann quickly became Philadelphia’s full-time punter and has held the job for the last 3 seasons — including winning a Super Bowl following the 2024 season. In 2025, he was 5th in the NFL after he averaged a career-high 49.9 yards per punt.
More than any other special teams player on the Eagles, Mann turned some games with his skill. In a 16-9 win over the Detroit Lions on November 16, he put 4 punts inside Detroit’s 20-yard line.
Eagles Continue Making Stealth Free-Agent Moves
While the Philadelphia Eagles haven’t done anything flashy in free agency, there’s a reason for that.
Aside from Mann, who was in-house, their only big outside free-agent move was another widely applauded one — a 1-year, $15 million contract for Seattle Seahawks cornerback and Super Bowl champion Riq Woolen.
“The Eagles locked up one of the best punters in the NFL,” ESPN’s Tim McManus wrote on Friday. “He was sixth in the league in yards per punt (49.9), third in opponent return yards (350) and seventh in touchback rate (11.1%) last season. Mann, 28, was a valuable piece of the operation in 2025, helping to support one of the top defenses in football, which played opposite an offense that led the league in three-and-outs.”
The biggest chip the Eagles still have to play is a possible trade for NFL All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown. That’s a move that might not happen until after June 1, but would certainly overshadow everything else done to this point.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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