The Eagles announced on Thursday that they have tendered punter Cameron Johnston, who was scheduled to become an exclusive rights free agent next Wednesday.
An exclusive rights free agent is a player with an expiring contract who has fewer than three accrued seasons of NFL experience. Once offered a tender, an exclusive rights free agent can't negotiate with another team.
Through his first two NFL seasons, Johnston has produced the highest gross (47.2) and net (42.5) punting averages in team history. In 2018, Johnston established single-season franchise records in both categories as well – 48.1 gross and 42.7 net, ranking third and fourth, respectively, in the league.
Since 2018, Johnston is third in the NFL in gross punting average (47.2) and fifth in net (42.5).
The 28-year-old Johnston was originally signed by the Eagles as a rookie free agent in 2017 out of Ohio State where he was an All-America punter as well as the Big Ten Punter of the Year in 2016. He lost out to Donnie Jones in 2017 before winning the Eagles' punting job the following year.
With Johnston secured for 2020, the Eagles maintain continuity with their specialists as kicker Jake Elliott and Pro Bowl long snapper Rick Lovato signed long-term deals during the 2019 season. Johnston is also critical to Elliott's success as the holder on extra point and field goal attempts.
