Veteran punter retires after spending part of 2022 with Eagles originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Veteran punter Brett Kern on Thursday announced his retirement from the NFL.
The 37-year-old spent 15 seasons in the league, finishing with the Eagles in 2022. Last season he played in six total games with the Birds, including both playoff games before the Super Bowl.
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The Eagles called Kern when their initial punter Arryn Siposs suffered an ankle injury in December. Kern punted for the Eagles in the final four regular season games of 2022 and against the Giants and 49ers in the playoff games leading up to Super Bowl LVII. Siposs returned to play in the Super Bowl.
While Kern was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Titans, he struggled coming back with the Eagles in 2022. He averaged 40.8 yards and 36.6 net yards per punt in the regular season, which were both career lows. In the playoffs, he was better, averaging 44.1 and 39.3 net in two games against the Giants and 49ers.
Kern spent the majority of his career with the Tennessee Titans and announced his retirement on the team’s website and social media.
For the Eagles, Kern was obviously not going to be in their plans for 2023. Despite a disastrous punt in Super Bowl LVII, Siposs is still on the roster but will have some competition for his job this summer. The Eagles signed Ty Zentner from Kansas State after the drafted ended.
Siposs, 30, has been the Eagles’ punter for the last two seasons. He improved in 2022 but his 38-yarder in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, a punt that was returned 65 yards to set up a touchdown, was a tough way to finish the year. Siposs’s average of 45.6 yards per punt in 2022 ranked 26th in the NFL.
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