Britain Covey Elevated, on Brink of Returning Punts for First Time in NFL

There are a few other "firsts" on tap against the Lions as well, including the debut of a few players and first game back for Brandon Graham since Week 2 last year

The Eagles found their punt returner, and to the surprise of probably no one, he was right under their noses the whole time on the practice squad.

After a few days of asking questions about the situation, and getting competitive advantage answers back from head coach Nick Sirianni and special teams coordinator Michael Clay, Britain Covey was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday afternoon.

Also being elevated from the practice squad was tight end Noah Togiai.

It has to be Covey to return punts when the Eagles play the Lions at Ford Field on Sunday, right?

If it is Covey who returns punts, it will be the undrafted free agent’s first time doing it in the NFL after a successful career doing it at Utah.

There will be several firsts on Sunday.

Here are two more firsts:

• It will be a few players' first games, but in particular for A.J. Brown, Haason Reddick, and Kyzir White.

All three have the talent to show their ability to be playmakers.

Brown joins DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert as the mix-and-match top three weapons for Jalen Hurts in the passing game.

Last year, Sirianni made it clear that the offense ran through Smith and Goedert. Now, Brown will be added to that core.

Sirianni was asked on Friday about the challenges of having three main weapons now.

“I definitely won't ever look at that as a challenge,” he said. “Hopefully you have the trust of the guys and you've connected with the guys enough that they understand the game plan. You tell them the why behind the game plan. You tell them what's going on.

“Of course, all those guys are going to want the ball, because they're all competitors, all really good players, and all know if they touch the ball, they can help us win. I never look at that as a challenge. I just look at it as a great opportunity to say, ‘If they're taking this away, we can go to this’ or vice versa…excited to have all three of them on our team. Look forward to seeing them play on Sunday.”

For Reddick and White, it will be the first game they play for the team they grew up rooting for, with Reddick growing up in Camden, N.J., and White in the Lehigh Valley in Emmaus.

• It will be the first game back for Brandon Graham since tearing an Achilles’ in Week 2 last season.

His return is heightened by the fact that he will do it in his hometown of Detroit.

“It’s so funny how things work out the way they do,” he said. “You look up, and I’m like, I’m playing in Detroit, coming off an injury, and I’m going to be able to play in that game. I didn’t get to play last year. So, to start off that first one, it’s going to be something special to play in front of my home crowd coming back from an Achilles injury.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.