'Life In The NFL:' STC Michael Clay Discusses Losing A Key Contributor

The Eagles lost core special teamer Patrick Johnson via waivers to the New York Giants.

Eagles edge rusher Patrick Johnson / John McMullen/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles needed a roster spot before Monday's disappointing loss to the Atlanta Falcons when A.J. Brown went down with a hamstring injury late in the preparation process leading up to the game.

GM Howie Roseman had constructed the initial 53-man roster without an obvious backup center and light at tight end with the idea that Nick Gates would be elevated early in the season before being added to the roster and a third TE would be up to supplement Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra.

Losing their All-Pro wide receiver added that position to the necessity list, meaning Roseman had only two PS elevation spots for three players.

The Eagles accomplished the end game by adding Gates to the 53-man roster before using up all three of his practice squad elevations and using the weekly elevations on tight end E.J. Jenkins and veteran receiver Parris Campbell.

To make room for Gates on the 53, Philadelphia waived edge rusher and core special-teamer Patrick Johnson, who was subsequently claimed and awarded to the divisional rival New York Giants.

Other than Johnson himself the man most impacted by that decision was ST coordinator Michael Clay, who lost a key member of his coverage units.

In the season-opening win over Green Bay, Johnson played 24 special teams snaps, one being team-leader Kelee Ringo.

The more obvious routes to go for Roseman would have been offensive lineman Darian Kinnard and defensive tackle Byron Young, who have both been inactive for the first two games or cornerback Eli Ricks, who has played sparingly and is deep on the depth chart.

Johnson had a bigger role than all three of those players plus big-name linebacker Devin White, who hasn't played this season after getting beaten out by Nakobe Dean specifically because White can't help on special teams.

Yet Johnson was the one to go, something tied to the upside of Kinnard, Young, and Ricks, as well as potential trade value for White down the road.

"You know, that's life in the NFL," Clay told Eagles on SI when discussing Johnson. "Things move so quick, and there's a lot of tough decisions that have to be made from the top down."

Clay also knows part of his job is to have the contingency ready at all times. He lost one of his best special teams players last year in-season as well when the Eagles tried to sneak Christian Elliss through waivers and he was claimed by New England.

"Tat's also my job as a special teams coordinator to make sure everybody that's on the active roster, the practice squad, in our meetings, everyone has the same thought process of, ‘Hey, if I am called up, I can do my job at this,’" Clay said.

The number called was 58, rookie thrird-round pick Jalyx Hunt.

"Jalyx was behind him, and how it all shifted out, he did an unbelievable job of going out there and playing at a high level, graded out very well," Clay said.

That doesn't mean Johnson isn't missed after being a contributor to Clay for three-plus seasons after making the team as a rookie seventh-round pick in 2021.

"It is what it is, in terms of that's life in the NFL," Clay noted. "I'm now going on my 11th year. Just some things happen that you have to be able to roll with the punches.

From a human aspect, I love Pat [former Eagles and current Giants LB Patrick Johnson]. He was here as a rookie when I first got here as a coordinator. Being able to talk to him after, I'm very happy for him. I'm not happy that we have to go after him twice a year. But I'm happy for him, his family, and I just know how good of a person he is, so just much love for Patrick."

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