Eagles Position Battle: Punting Job Open For First Time in Two Years

Philadelphia Eagles punter Arryn Siposs will face a challenge for his job for the first time since arriving in 2021, with Kansas State product and undrafted free agent Ty Zentner expected to compete.

PHILADELPHIA – At last, another punter.

The job is no longer an open-and-shut case for Arryn Siposs. The Philadelphia Eagles punter hasn’t had a lick of competition in his two seasons on the job. This summer will be different after the Eagles signed Ty Zentner after the 2023 NFL Draft ended.

“I think Arryn is going to handle it as the professional that he is,” said Eagles special team coordinator Michael Clay on Thursday afternoon, just hours before the NFL released its schedule.

“This is not like something new for Arryn. He's been a professional back in Australia. It's not something new.”

Well, it kind of is for Siposs, who has had some solid success but isn’t always as consistent as he could be.

There was a clamor among the fan base to find someone new.

Then Siposs, who punted at Auburn, got hurt in December and the Eagles brought in Brett Kern, who didn’t seem to have much left in his leg in what was his 16th season. So, it was a relief to many that Siposs was deemed healed in time for Super Bowl LVII.

Then he went and punted the ball to the wrong side of State Farm Stadium field which helped Kansas City Chiefs returner Kadarius Toney sail 65 yards to Philly’s five-yard line, setting up a touchdown that put KC up 35-27 with less than 10 minutes to play in the game.

“We felt that Arryn has done some good things when we first got him a couple years ago, but just like in any facet of the NFL, everything is being evaluated,” Clay said. “... Everything is production-based business, whether it's myself or the team or the players we have on this team.”

There could have been some rust in the Super Bowl, and, frankly, Siposs has done a nice job dropping his punts inside the 20 in his two years on the job. He put 17 of his 55 punts inside the 20 this past season (30.9 percent) and 16 of 44 (36.4 percent) in 2021.

His net yardage has, however, been below 40 in each season.

Still, If Zentner is legitimate competition, Siposs will be up for it.

“The competition aspect of the whole thing is not something new or something foreign for these guys, so everyone understands that every draft class there's somebody coming in trying to take your job," said Clay. "Just like in anything else in the professional world.”

Zentner is an undrafted rookie from Kansas State. He averaged 44.5 yads per punt o 59 punts last season, with 27 of those landing inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, which was a career-best. Also, 22 of his kicks traveled at least 50 yards.

“We tried to look at every punter possible that fits our eye, and going into the process we saw him and we liked his tape,” Clay said. “Kansas State is not an easy stadium to kick in...kind of got to know him a little bit and see the competitive edge he has, he possesses, and he does have some traits that we look for with his consistency in his drop.

“He has leg strength - then he also has the ability to do kickoffs that could help out our team in certain situations, whether that's maybe saving Jake's leg in the preseason, getting those kickoffs off.”

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Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.

Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.

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