Kern to Philadelphia 'A Massive Signing'

It is not every day that a punter is compared to a wide receiver. Even when the punter is as accomplished as Brett Kern.

Yet Pat McAfee, a former NFL punter in his own right and current multimedia performer, sees the impact of Kern’s decision to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles at this point in the schedule as on par with Odell Beckham Jr.’s move to the Los Angeles Rams late in the 2021 NFL season.

In short: It makes an already good team even better.

The Eagles formally announced Kern’s addition as a member of their practice squad Tuesday. The expectation is that he will be signed to the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

“Brett Kern potentially doing what Odell was doing at wide receiver and what [T.Y. Hilton, who signed with Dallas] might've done this year is brilliant, and I can't congratulate the Eagles enough,” McAfee said in the latest episode said of the Pat McAfee Show (YouTube). “You got the best guy that's available. And by best guy available, I mean like, you're probably getting a Top 5 guy in the league immediately.

“… He is really good. If he still has it, which I assume he does, this is a massive signing for the Eagles, and they just got better somehow.”

After he was waived by the Browns last November, Beckham signed with the Los Angeles Rams and caught 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns over the final eight games of the regular season. He added 21 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in four playoff games, capped by the Super Bowl LVI victory over Cincinnati.

The Titans released Kern at the end of the preseason and elected to keep rookie Ryan Stonehouse as their punter. He remained unsigned until the Eagles lost Aaron Syposs to injury Sunday against the New York Giants.

“I thought (Kern) was just chilling and done,” McAfee said. “I didn’t know he still wanted to get back in the league. … It’s not like the Eagles got worse in a situation that could show up in a big moment and really get you, which is special teams. … Instead, they get better when they lose their punter.

“… I have high admiration for (Kern).”

In signing with Philadelphia, Kern joins the team that has the NFL’s best record (12-1) and is the only one that has clinched a postseason berth.

The 36-year-old was a part of four playoff teams during his 12-plus seasons with Tennessee, including 2019 when the Titans reached the AFC championship game. His career average of 45.9 yards per punt ranks 14th all-time. Over the past seven seasons, he had more than 10 times as many punts end up inside the 20-yard-line (210) as he had touchbacks (19).

“It’s like, how do some teams have this kind of luck?” McAfee said. “… And congrats to Philly for becoming this place where people who are ring-hunting to maybe leave an imprint on their legacy.

“I used to try and mimic Brett Kern on a regular basis on film because he's a robot. … It was unbelievable to watch.”

Now, the Eagles get to see what he can do for them.