Typically, the fan in all of us thinks of certain players when we see certain numbers. That's why no one can ever wear the No. 20 Philadelphia Eagles jersey after Brian Dawkins. It stands to reason that no one will ever wear Jason Kelce's Number 62 ensemble again. Football rosters are heavy, though. 53 guys play on the active unit.
That makes it impossible to retire every great player's number. Most teams would certainly run out of options; however, after witnessing the brilliance we knew as DeSean Jackson, we asked a recent question.
Why in the heck would Philadelphia give his number to a punter? Come on now. A punter?
We stand corrected. Braden Mann is every bit as brilliant as some other Eagles stars who play more glamorous positions.
Braden Mann is the best impending Eagles free agent that no one is talking about.
Scan the Eagles' current roster, and you'd struggle to find five players who are better at their job than Braden Mann is at his. How many players can say they're approaching territory where they're nearing the best the franchise has seen at a position?
That's where Braden Mann is. We don't spend tons of time discussing punters. We like beautiful TD receptions and perfectly-placed throws. We like pick-six interceptions and punt returns that are housed for six points.
Punters spend much of their time alone on game days. They're only mentioned if they shank one, but everyone still struggling with the nightmare that was Arryn Siposs can understand why we'd label Braden Mann as one of the top Eagles offseason priorities.
His contract is expiring, making him one of 20 impending Eagles free agents. His importance simply isn't being talked about enough.
NBC Sports' Reuben Frank loves numbers. That's why nerds like us love Reuben Frank. He offered a masterclass on Mann's brilliance in early January. This past season, Mann enjoyed the best year of any punter in Eagles history.
"Mann’s 49.9 average as an Eagle is 4th-highest in the NFL since he signed here in 2023, behind only [Ryan] Stonehouse (51.6), who is currently out of the league, Blake Gillikin of the Cards (50.5), and Ryan Renkow of the Bengals (50.1). Not only does he have the highest average in Eagles history, nearly three yards per punt over Cameron Johnston’s 47.0. He has the three-best single seasons in Eagles history at 48.8 in 2024, 49.8 in 2023 and 50.4 this year. Johnson’s 48.1 in 2018 was the franchise record before Mann came along."
Mann's 49.9 yards-per-punt average ranks sixth in the NFL. His net averages are often overlooked but are a crucial factor when evaluating field position. They are also among the best in Eagles history.
Mann isn't just someone who booms punts. He has also flipped the field position. He downed 20 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line in 2025.
During a Week 13 performance vs. the Baltimore Ravens in 2024, he pinned five of six punts inside the 20-yard line. Two of those five were downed inside the ten-yard line. He earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his efforts.
Ultimately, Braden Mann has done exactly what the Eagles asked of him. In an era where special teams mistakes can quietly swing games, Mann has largely stayed out of the spotlight for the wrong reasons, which is often the highest compliment a punter can receive.
If the Eagles are weighing continuity versus chasing marginal gains, Mann's body of work makes a clear case. He may not be elite in every metric, but he's proven he's steady, trusted, and far from a liability. That stability carries value on a roster built to contend. In short, this may be the most important priority signing that we aren't discussing.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Braden Mann should be one of the Eagles' biggest offseason priorities