Eagles' Kickoff Tactic Draws Scrutiny from Bears Ahead of Monday Night Football

The Philadelphia Eagles' innovative approach to kickoffs, which has drawn attention for its use of a holder instead of a tee, is facing pushback from the Chicago Bears ahead of their upcoming matchup.

During a recent win against the Titans, Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay instructed punter Braden Mann to hold the ball on the ground for kickoffs. This tactic leverages a rule allowing a 12th player to act as a holder before exiting the field. Clay explained that this method offers kicker Jake Elliott a different launch angle, enabling him to execute a low, knuckling kick, often referred to as a "dirty ball."

Clay stated that the Eagles adopted this strategy after observing it used by the Atlanta Falcons. "Something different, something we noticed from Week 1," Clay said, according to NJ.com. "I believe Atlanta did it with [kicker] Nick Folk, and it just gave us a different opportunity, a different launch angle and they executed pretty well in terms of [kicker] Jake [Elliott] and Braden Mann holding on that. We’re always looking for ways to help the team in any way we possibly can. It’s a different technique, and we’ll see if we keep using that as the year goes on."

Elliott expressed his satisfaction with the setup, noting that it provides him with greater ball control and consistency during kicks. "I like the repeatability of it," Elliott said, via Crossing Broad. "Just the way I was able to kind of make the ball move in the air and like what I was able to accomplish with it."

However, the Bears, preparing to host the Eagles on Monday Night Football, have voiced concerns. Chicago special teams coordinator Richard Hightower questioned whether the tactic aligns with the rule's original intent. "The intent of the rule is the ball is supposed to be in a tee when you have a holder out there," Hightower said, per NBC Sports. "It’s not to be used like you’ve seen it used here lately."

Initially, this rule provision was designed to assist kickers in adverse weather conditions, such as strong winds that could make it difficult to keep the ball stable on a tee. The NFL's introduction of the dynamic kickoff system two years ago, however, loosened the language to permit a holder on any kickoff without explicitly mandating the use of a tee. This created a gray area that teams are now exploring.

Hightower indicated that the league might soon offer clarification on the rule, potentially with updated language requiring the use of a tee. "We’re all getting together on that shortly, and we hope to get that fixed and corrected within the language of everything done in the rulebook," Hightower said.