Michael Clay sends a strong message about Eagles kicker Jake Elliott

Jake Elliott is coming off the most difficult season of his NFL career, but if Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay's comments are any indication, Philadelphia isn't wavering in its confidence entering training camp. Asked whether Elliott would enter camp as the lone kicker this summer, Clay stopped short of outlining roster plans but delivered a strong endorsement of the veteran specialist entering his 10th season with the Eagles.

"With Jake, obviously long career, still confident in him," Clay said Thursday. "You could go game by game, situation by situation, but nobody really wants to hear any of that. Everybody wants to know, what have you done for me last?"

The Eagles reworked Jake Elliott's contract, reducing his base salary to $5 million, guaranteeing the full amount, and lowering his 2026 cap hit by $240K. Elliott was voted second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press in 2023, when he established a single-season franchise record in FG percentage (93.8%). He also set a career high with 135 kicking points (5th in team history).

Elliott successfully made field goals from 41 and 33 yards during Philadelphia's 23-19 wild-card loss to the 49ers, but he missed one of his two extra-point attempts. This missed extra point proved to be crucial, as the Eagles reached the San Francisco 21-yard line on their final possession and would have been in position for a game-tying field goal if Elliott had successfully converted all of his earlier kicks. Elliott missed only one of his 42 extra-point attempts during the regular season, while he made just 74 percent of his field-goal attempts (20-for-27), marking his worst performance since 2020.

Elliott struggled through an inconsistent 2025 season that created questions about whether Philadelphia could bring legitimate competition into training camp, but Clay pointed to Elliott's body of work and ability to perform in pressure situations as reasons for optimism.

"For Jake, 10 years in the NFL, 10 years to do it in Philadelphia, big kicks, hard to go against a confidence in that," Clay said.

Philadelphia has relied heavily on Elliott since acquiring him in 2017. He's delivered game-winning moments, playoff production, and consistency over nearly a decade, making him one of the franchise's most accomplished specialists.

Clay acknowledged the mental side of kicking while emphasizing that restoring confidence and routine remains the focus as camp approaches.

"Jake's going to be his hardest critic of all time," Clay said. "It's for me as a coach to bring him up and keep the confidence in him because when he's confident, a confident kicker is a dangerous kicker."

Clay added that Elliott's path back centers around fundamentals and rediscovering enjoyment in the process.

"For him, it's just getting back to his basics, getting back to his routine and falling in love with the game again," Clay said.

The Eagles haven't publicly indicated whether they'll add another kicker before camp opens, but Clay's comments suggest Philadelphia remains committed to Elliott while expecting the veteran to rebound entering 2026. With OTAs underway and training camp approaching, the organization appears focused less on replacing Elliott and more on helping one of its longest-tenured players return to form.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles remain confident in Jake Elliott despite 2025 struggles