Philadelphia Eagles Find 'Hidden Gem' in Britain Covey

The Eagles' second-year punt returner has been the NFL's best since Week 13 of his rookie season.

PHILADELPHIA - If the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t have enough playmakers, you can add punt returner Britain Covey to the mix.

Since Week 13 of last season, Covey has been the NFL’s best, leading the league at 14.6 yards per punt return with 13 returns of 10 or more yards.

Britain Covey since Week 13 of 2022:

291 punt return yards (1st in #NFL)
14.6 punt return average (1st) (min. 15 returns)
13 punt returns of 10+ yards (1st)
9 punt returns of 15+ yards (1st)
5 punt returns of 20+ yards (1st)
4 punt returns of 25+ yards (1st)#Eagles pic.twitter.com/MmNOitohYB

— John Gonoude (@john_gonoude) September 26, 2023

During Monday night’s 25-11 win in Tampa, Covey took advantage of Jake Camarda’s big leg by using the extra space to return three punts for 81 yards and a free kick for 30. His biggest splash was a career-high 52-yard return taken inside the Eagles’ own five-yard line, a calculated gamble that paid off big.

By Wednesday head coach Nick Sirianni was calling the 5-8 former All-American returner at Utah “a hidden gem.”

“We have maybe a hidden gem that not everybody always fully appreciates. We sure do,” Sirainni said. “... I'm so glad he's our punt returner. Man, he is a great, great punt returner. You saw that in college. And he's a great teammate. Man, I can't say enough good things about the player and about the person.”

Armed with that quote, SI.com’s Eagles Today tracked down Covey in the locker room Wednesday before the team’s walk-through on a short week in advance of Sunday's game vs. Washington and asked the second-year player which designation meant more to him: the great punt returner or the great teammate?

"Great teammate for sure,” Covey smiled. “That's always I mean, in college, the best thing that's ever happened was being voted captain in college multiple times. You know that just means the world to me because people underestimate how impactful great teammates can be.

“... You just want to be an energy giver."

Covey’s big return against the Bucs gave a Philadelphia-tinted crowd plenty of energy at Raymond James Stadium and highlighted the sharp contrast between Covey’s early weeks as a rookie vs. the demarcation line of the start-up costs being put in the rear-view mirror.

“We didn't need big plays last year at punt return,” Covey said, “I mean, we were the number-one-ranked offense in the league (actually No. 3). … Even our scheme was not designed for these huge returns as much as let's get the first first down and let's give the ball back the offense. 

"And that's what we did.”

Britain Covey has taken off since Week 13 of the 2022 season / USA Today

Covey slowly earned the trust of Sirianni and special teams coordinator Michael Clay, however, and his leash to take some chances grew longer to the point he gashed the Kansas City Chiefs with a 27-yard return in Super Bowl LVII.

“I think it's reasonable to give a rookie a little bit of time to adjust to the speed of things,” Covey said. “My favorite people to watch on film for punt returner include Darren Sproles, Danny Amendola, Wes Welker. Darren Sproles averaged seven yards a return his rookie year.

“It's not an anomaly to adjust.”

Star kicker Jake Elliott interrupted to play reporter and ask Covey "What it's like being the number one returner in the league, but only getting recognition this week?"

Covey laughed and told his teammate he loved him before returning to his default setting fueled by his undrafted pedigree and slow start which spawned some overly critical fans.

“You can't put your mind there. It's difficult,” Covey admitted. “What's the Philly saying? ‘No one likes us, we don't care.’ Maybe my saying is no one likes me, I don't care.

“... You trust what your teammates say about you, what your coaches say about you, what they know about you, and what you know about yourself. And so I've never doubted or wavered and I never will regardless of what happens in the next few weeks.”

"He’s just so consistent with his attitude, so consistent with just his effort, and just how he treats everybody in the building," Olympic hurdler turned NFL speedster Devon Allen said of Covey.

Allen is Covey's neighbor in the Eagles' locker room and made his NFL debut in Tampa, returning one kick for 17 yards.

"His effort is incomparable to anyone else," Allen said.

The undrafted label is now ingrained in Covey's psyche, perhaps the road map to the gem that was hidden in such a small package.

“I will view myself as a practice squad player being elevated for the rest of my career because that's how you play,” Covey said “That's the motivation that you get and so I'll never get comfortable being on the 53. I think it's good. I was an undrafted free agent, right? You got to earn everything. Reed Blankenship and I talk all the time me him and (Josh) Jobe, we kind of stick together.

“We're the three UDFAs, I mean the three amigos. ... Yeah, I like that.”