“It’s been a huge blessing. I’ve always felt super blessed, but now I’m feeling extra blessed in the last week or so.”
Sure, Braden Mann could easily have been discussing his new four-year contract, which he officially signed on Thursday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex.
Instead, the punter was marveling about the birth of his week-old daughter, Makenna.
“It’s amazing,” said Mann, still wearing the hospital bracelet on his wrist. “She has been the best thing for us (wife, Kylie). It was incredibly life-changing and you always hear about it and I never really knew what to expect and then as soon as it hits you, it hits you. Happy, healthy baby girl, so we’re excited about it.”
As for his brief foray into free agency, Mann never wanted to be anywhere else but Philadelphia. He felt from the time he joined the team early in the 2023 season that the organization invests in its people – whether it’s players, coaches, or support staff. That commitment, Mann explained, makes the players and coaches want to put everything on the line for the team in return.
Mann has been an exceptional weapon on special teams over the past three seasons, both with his leg on punts and occasional kickoffs, and as the holder for kicker Jake Elliott. Mann’s three-year stretch as a punter rivals any such span in franchise history. He ranks atop the team’s all-time list for both net and gross punting averages. He also owns not just the best individual punting seasons in Eagles history from both a net and gross average standpoint, but the second-best as well.