The Philadelphia Eagles don’t typically leave any stone unturned when it comes to researching ways to improve their roster. That includes punter.
According to the NFL transaction wire, the Eagles held a tryout for former undrafted free agent punter Luke Elzinga on Thursday. The Eagles invited Elzinga in for a tryout despite Braden Mann appearing to be ready to begin a fourth season in Philadelphia.
Elzinga entered the NFL during the 2025 class out of Oklahoma. In the spring of 2025, he received an invite to rookie minicamp for the Tennessee Titans. Elzinga signed his first NFL contract with the Baltimore Ravens this past April.
“Baltimore, which began offseason workouts on Monday, did not have a punter on the roster before signing Elzinga,” wrote Baltimoreravens.com’s Clifton Brown. “The Ravens could sign another this offseason or take one during the upcoming draft.”
The Ravens released Elzinga from their offseason roster in late July.
In two seasons at Oklahoma, Elzinga averaged 44.9 yards per punt. He also averaged 42.1 yards per punt over three campaigns at Central Michigan to begin his college career.
Eagles Hold Tryout for Punter Luke Elzinga
The tryout for Elzinga with the Eagles was surprising. Mann just started a 4-year, $14 million contract, which prevents him from becoming a free agent until March 2030.
Last season, Mann averaged a career-best 49.9 yards per punt. His 2025 net yards per punt average also sat at 43.1, which was a full yard better than his mark in the category during 2024.
There’s no indication that the Eagles want Mann to compete with a new punter or that Mann is dealing with an injury. With Elzinga’s tryout, Philadelphia appeared to simply want to scout the former undrafted rookie and/or consider him for a future practice squad opening.
It will be interesting to see if the tryout leads to anything.
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