Happy Returns?

It isn’t likely to be discussed all that much this summer, as a plethora of captivating storylines surrounding the 2025 Philadelphia Eagles remain at the forefront, but beneath the surface there’s a critical role that would appear to be largely undecided.

The free-agent departures of Britain Covey, Kenny Gainwell and Isaiah Rodgers have created a void for the Eagles at the returner roles. Sure, the team could always resort to deploying second-year players Cooper DeJean and Will Shipley to return punts and kicks, respectively, but both play prominent roles on their units and could be deemed too valuable to risk expanding their workload.

And some of the under-the-radar additions made this offseason – including a free-agent signing and waiver claim –  supports the theory they’re looking to find other options.

Here’s a look at every candidate on the Eagles’ 90-man roster with return capability, including their respective outlooks as training camp fast approaches:

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles second-year WR Ainias Smith can help his push to make the team by excelling in punt return.

WR/RS Avery Williams

Williams, sidelined during spring practices with an undisclosed injury, is the leading candidate to become the team’s primary returner. Signed to a modest free-agent contract in March, the dynamic 5-foot-9, 195-pound Williams returned both kicks and punts during his three years of game action with the Falcons. He’s returned 54 kicks for 1,211 yards and 58 punts for 630 yards. At the NFL owners meetings in early April, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni notably gushed about Williams’ versatility, implying that offensive touches will likely be in the plans. The Eagles have listed Williams, whom the Falcons sampled at running back in 2022, as a wide receiver. He’ll need to first get on the field, but Williams feels like the most probable of this bunch to run away with the role.

RB Will Shipley

If the Eagles are looking for continuity at the returner position – kick returner, in this case –  Shipley could wind up ultimately getting the nod. While his opportunities to field kicks were limited as a rookie  – he frequently served as the lead blocker on kickoff returns – the Clemson product racked up 173 yards on six runbacks. Depending on how the others in the mix fare, Shipley would be a convenient fallback plan, though his expanded role in this iteration of the offense could preclude the Eagles from exposing the second-year running back to unnecessary hits. I’m still expecting Shipley to reprise his role covering kicks, as the 22-year-old is one of the Eagles’ top coverage players.

RB Keilan Robinson

Robinson’s calling card is his special teams prowess, noted previously when the Eagles two weeks ago were awarded the 25-year-old running back via waivers. If he sticks, Robinson will serve as a core third phase contributor. Robinson (5-8, 191) doesn’t figure to get many reps this summer at his natural position, but his appeal centers around special teams, where he combined for 919 kickoff return yards and a touchdown on 39 opportunities during his time at Alabama and Texas. It’s also my understanding that Robinson has the capabilities to become a highly impactful gunner. The second-year running back appeared in just six games last season for the Jaguars, logging a pair of kickoff returns for 34 yards. Robinson also logged five offensive snaps and another 51 on special teams. Perhaps a change of scenery, coupled with his 4.42 speed, unlocks his potential.

WR Ainias Smith

This is a big summer for Smith. For reference, the Texas A&M product experienced quite a bit of turbulence in his first training camp, at times making even the routine appear tricky. Smith did, however, string together enough positive plays to stick around. And by midseason, it was clear his confidence had returned and the game slowed down. He approached each week with optimism and a positive outlook. This time around, Smith will likely need to demonstrate his special teams value to earn a roster spot, especially as a predominant slot receiver. Working in his favor is that Smith, who rolled up 836 yards and two touchdowns on 82 career punt returns, should have an opportunity to showcase his value returning punts. He’ll get plenty of looks on special teams and offense this summer.

WR Danny Gray

Gray has enough juice to play his way onto the roster just via his position, but the fourth-year receiver has fielded kicks at Eagles practices, as recently as one of the media-attended OTA sessions. Gray, who boasts 4.33 speed, wasn’t much of a third phase factor at SMU, returning just nine punts and two kicks over his two seasons. But the 26-year-old has the explosiveness and short-area quickness to suggest he can pull it off. If he impresses in camp and seizes the final receiver slot, Gray could provide appealing game day value as a returner.

WR Taylor Morin

A rookie free agent signing, Morin, who holds a Wake Forest record for most receiving yards in his career (2,974), also ranks second all-time in punt return yards (809). His best season returning punts occurred in 2024, where Morin averaged 17 yards and ran one back for a touchdown. Morin figures to see a flurry of pass targets in training camp, but if he’s to realistically factor into the roster conversation, he’ll need to flash as a punt returner. We’ll soon find out whether or Morin gets a long look in that role.

WR Giles Jackson

Jackson punched his ticket onto the Eagles’ 90-man roster on the heels of a successful rookie minicamp tryout. The 5-foot-9, 185-pound pass-catcher – who spent two seasons at Michigan, four at Washington – produced 1,730 yards and two touchdowns off 71 kickoff returns. Jackson also returned 25 punts. The 23-year-old is fairly far down in terms of receiving pecking order, and reps are likely to be at a premium, but Jackson could elbow his way into the conversation with a strong showing.

RB ShunDerrick Powell

Powell returned just four kickoffs during his two-year stint at Central Arkansas but got some work there during one of the media-attended OTA sessions. Powell (5-7, 183) is an explosive athlete with 4.4 speed, but with the crowded house at his position, he’ll need to impress on special teams to make things interesting.

WR Jahan Dotson

Dotson finished his Penn State career with 338 punt return yards and a touchdown on 25 returns. While he didn’t return any for the Eagles last season, Dotson would shag some fly balls with the other returners last season during practice. While not the likeliest of candidates, Dotson is listed because he has the ability to do it.

DB Cooper DeJean

If all else doesn’t pan out, the Eagles have a steady hand with homerun-hitting ability at punt returner in DeJean, though I’m not so sure the team wants to continue exposing one of its most valuable pieces to the frequent collisions that occur on special teams. I’m expecting Williams and Smith — possibly even Morin — to command especially long looks this summer fielding punts.

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.