Watching Britain Covey return punts and kicks Monday night against the Chargers it was easy to wonder why he hasn’t been doing it all year.
The Eagles began the season with Jahan Dotson on punts, and he was OK, but he also plays a lot on offense so they went with Xavier Gipson for about a month, but that didn’t go well, and they wound up releasing him.
Kick returns, similar deal. John Metchie began the season as the primary kick returner, then Tank Bigsby did it for a while, then Will Shipley – who’s pretty good – and then Gipson took a turn and even A.J. Dillon did it for a game, minus the Positivity Bunny.
All along, Covey just sat there waiting his turn.
“Hey, it’s never fun,” Covey said of riding the bench. “You see things on film that make you wish you could be out there. It took a few more games than I was hoping, but nothing surprises you anymore in the league. And I understood it would come at some point.”
Covey was one of the NFL’s best punt returners in 2023 but missed most of 2024 with shoulder and neck injuries. When the Eagles didn’t tender him after the season, he signed with the Rams, got cut after training camp, and wound up back in Philly on the Eagles’ practice squad.
He signed to the 53 in late November and made his season debut against the Bears.
“I never wanted to leave, so it felt good to come back,” he said. “I knew that this was eventually going to be in the cards, I just didn’t know when.”
Covey gave the return game some juice Monday night, returning three punts for 54 yards and four kickoffs for 103 yards against the Chargers.
He’s only the Eagles’ fourth returner ever to average at least 18 yards on at least three punt returns and 25 yards on at least three kick returns in the same game, the first since Brian Mitchell against the 49ers in 2002 (33.0, 35.7).
Covey on Monday night increased his career punt return average from 11.3 to 11.6 and moved past Darren Sproles with the highest punt return average in Eagles history with a minimum of 75 returns. Covey now has the 9th-highest punt return average in NFL history (minimum 75 returns) and highest ever by an undrafted player.
Yet there he was buried on the practice squad most of the season.
“I still tried to do my best to coach up people,” he said. “You know, I’m a big believer in the abundance mentality, what my grandpa (bestselling self-help author Stephen Covey) used to teach, that life isn’t a finite pie of opportunities and I don’t want to keep all my knowledge and things to myself.
“So I still tried to be involved in coaching. But it’s not the same, the vigor that you approach it with when you are out there.”
After playing in every game but one in 2023, Covey got into just five of the Eagles’ next 32 games before coming out of hibernation two weeks ago.
He said the time away gave him a renewed appreciation for playing the game he loves.
“Such an appreciation for it and a passion for it,” he said. “You know, it’s funny, When people say, ‘That’s a vet move,’ I look at myself like, are you talking to me? Because I feel so much passion for it, more than I ever have, and a desire to kickstart my career.
“I feel like I’m the best player that I’ve been, and you just hope for those opportunities. It doesn’t come to everyone, so I feel lucky.”