August 04, 2025
James Guillory/Imagn Images
Christian Johnstone throws the ball through his legs with precision, power, and grace. Or he doesn't. I really don't know. 🤷♂️
The Philadelphia Eagles worked out four long snappers on Sunday, and signed Christian Johnstone, an undrafted rookie who long snapped at Appalachian State. His App State bio:
Snapped in all 40 games from 2019-21, then all 25 from 2023-24 for a career total of 65 games as the primary long snapper … Received All-Sun Belt recognition in 2021 and 2024 … Named a Special Teams University honorable mention All-American and also appeared in the Tropical Bowl following the 2024 season.
In his comprehensive draft preview, Dane Brugler of The Athletic had Johnstone rated as the 10th best long snapper.
This offseason, the Eagles replaced longtime long snapper Rick Lovato with a new — but older — long snapper in Charley Hughlett (35), who has been in the NFL since 2012. Hughlett bounced around a bunch of NFL training camps the first three years of his career, before earning a full-time job as the Cleveland Browns' long snapper from 2015 to 2024.
Hughlett missed practice on Sunday with a neck injury. His timetable for return is unknown, but it's likely that the Eagles just need a guy to fill in during practice, and possibly for their first preseason game Thursday night against the Bengals.
The Eagles don't often replace their long snapper:
• Mike Bartrum: 2000-2006
• Jon Dorenbos: 2006-2016
• Rick Lovato: 2016-2024
• Charley Hughlett: 2025-???
To make room for Johnstone, the Eagles released CB B.J. Mayes. (Side note: One day you're a cornerback in an NFL training camp, the next day you're not because the long snapper got hurt.)
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