Why Eagles think Tank Bigsby can master role he hasn't ever had
Tank Bigsby hasn’t been his team’s primary kick returner since his freshman season at Auburn in 2020. And he has returned a grand total of just 11 kickoffs in 34 games in his NFL career with the Jaguars.
But the Eagles think he can do it.
The Eagles this week shipped a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick to Jacksonville to acquire Bigsby. And when they announced the move, they notably called Bigsby a running back and a kick returner.
“I don’t know what happens in the other buildings, whether that be at Auburn or Jacksonville,” Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay said. “But he shows the ability to do it.
“Hard-nosed runner. Obviously, I think he had 800-plus yards as a running back. It’s just one of those things where you have a guy that’s talented and you put the ball in his hands and now you give him a little bit more space to see some vision, you’re ready to see him go. Kind of very similar to Will Shipley last year. A couple opportunities, but he had a good high average in the return game.”
While Bigsby, 24, was not the Jaguars’ primary kick returner in 2024, he showed an ability in limited reps. He returned six kickoffs for an average of 32.5 yards per return. That return average ranked 9th in the NFL among players with at least five returns last season.
And if you’re wondering, here’s how the Eagles’ returners fared last season: Kenny Gainwell – 18 returns (25.3 average), Isaiah Rodgers – 8 returns (28.1 average), Shipley (6 returns – 28.8 average).
Bigsby could be an upgrade, which is more important in 2025 than it was in 2024.
“The returner position, I think,” Clay said, “has increased value with these new rules in place.”
The NFL tweaked its kickoff rules again entering the 2025 season — moving the touchback spot from the 30-yard line to 35-yard line — and we are already seeing the results.
In Week 1, teams returns 118 of 156 kickoffs (75.6%), which is the highest return rate for a single week since the 2010 season, according to ESPN.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46207142/nfl-kickoff-return-rate-increases-dramatically-week-1
“That’s kind of what I expected a little bit,” Clay said. “I’m sure there was a little bit more touchbacks than people probably thought, but I don’t think that was by the nature of people trying to hit touchbacks. I think it’s just, some kickers have extra juice and the ball takes off and some smart return play.”
In addition to his ability as a return man, Bigsby has been a good runner in the NFL too. Last season, he led the Jaguars with 766 rushing yards on 168 attempts, good for an average of 4.6 yards per attempt.
The trade for Bigsby came after Shipley suffered a ribs injury in the opener. So if Shipley misses some time, it’ll be Saquon Barkley, A.J. Dillon and Bigsby holding down the position.
“He’s a dynamic player, right?” Patullo said of Bigsby. “And he’s going to add depth to our roster. I think he can make some plays for us offensively and we can use him in different ways.”
Bigsby last season was one of eight players in the NFL to have at least two runs of 50-plus yards. The only players with more than him were Saquon Barkley (9), Derrick Henry (3) and Jonathan Taylor (3).
The Eagles think Bigsby’s explosion will translate to kick returns.
“Obviously, being a running back, he has that natural vision and feel when it comes to returning the ball,” Clay said. “So obviously very excited for anybody that we get on our roster to work with them.
“But again, it’s more just getting him into a place … there’s a lot that that happens for a guy that gets traded outside of this building. But to get him into a calm place, get him caught up with everything we want to do here and see his talents excel on Sunday.”
Why Eagles think Tank Bigsby can master role he hasn't ever had
