Birds sign Elliott, shelve injured Sturgis
With a hip injury sidelining kicker Caleb Sturgis at least eight weeks, the Eagles have gone to a rookie replacement.
The Birds agreed to terms Tuesday with 22-year-old Jake Elliott, who broke Stephen Gostkowski’s career records at American Athletic Conference school Memphis with 438 points and 80 field goals.
Elliott (5-9, 167) was on the practice squad of the Cincinnati Bengals, who took him off the board in the fifth round of the 2017 draft. Elliott lost a competition to Randy Bullock for the Bengals starting job.
Sturgis was placed on injured reserve, where he has to remain for at least eight weeks. The Eagles can reactivate up to two players from IR this season.
Sturgis injured the quadriceps muscle on his plant leg early in the Eagles’ 30-17 win over the Washington Redskins last Sunday. The veteran in his fifth NFL season hooked his second PAT but kicked three field goals. The injury worsened as the game continued. Ultimately head coach Doug Pederson’s decided to go for two points instead of kick after a touchdown with 1:29 remaining.
Sturgis blooped a mortar kick after the two-point conversion was successful, then told reporters he would be OK to play Sunday at Kansas City. An MRI revealed the quadriceps issue.
Elliott was drafted before the Eagles selected wide receiver Shelton Gibson and linebacker Nate Gerry. Gibson is on the Birds’ 53-man roster, Gerry the practice squad.
Also Tuesday the Eagles also signed offensive tackle Victor Salako and cornerback De’Vante Bausby to the practice squad, and released cornerback C.J. Smith and wide receiver Greg Ward from the practice squad.