Cam Jurgens, Recovering from Back Surgery, Ready to Resume Pro Bowl Career with Eagles

Two days before the NFC Championship Game in January, Eagles center Cam Jurgens gingerly returned to practice, where he was a ‘limited participant.”

Throughout the Philadelphia media that week, the word was that Jurgens, the former Nebraska star, would be inactive against the Washington Commanders, physically unable to play because of nerve pain in his back. Yet, Jurgens surprisingly was active for the game. He warmed up and took snaps. He tried to play but couldn’t go. He watched the first half from the sideline.

When the second half started, emergency center Landon Dickerson — a Pro Bowl guard — was forced to the sideline with a knee injury. Jurgens was the next man up. He played.

“It just felt impossible physically all week, for most of the playoffs,” Jurgens said the other day at Eagles training camp. “You’ve just got to mentally will yourself to say you’re good, keep going, press on, get through it.

“It helps when you’re going through it, and everybody else is dealing with stuff. You got to be there for the guys. That’s just the name of the game.”

Fast-forward to this season

Jurgens, 25, remained a limited participant this week as the Eagles put on the pads and started hitting at training camp. He underwent back surgery less than two weeks after he played in pain as the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Despite the injury, Jurgens played 91 percent of the snaps against the Chiefs in the Eagles’ second Super Bowl victory. Dickinson returned to guard in the 40-22 win.

“Shoot, the last thing I had out there in the season was surgery,” said Jurgens, who is 6-foot-3, 303 pounds. “Right now it’s just time to get back in football [and] see how it’s feeling.

“Right now it’s feeling good. But with every injury, you have to progress slowly and hopefully get back to where you want to be. It’s going good so far.”

Jurgens: Stepping in and stepping up

Jurgens is starting his fourth NFL season. He stepped into monumental shoes as the heir apparent to future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce, a legend on the field and a rock-star idol to Eagles fans. Jurgens was drafted in the second round in 2022, the 51st overall pick.

Kelce worked closely with Jurgens, mentoring him. When you saw practice video from that season, Jurgens and Kelce always were side by side. Jurgens played 17 games as a rookie backing up the All-Pro, but only took 35 snaps.

Jurgens started 11 games at guard in 2023 before suffering a foot injury.

Jurgens took over at center when Kelce retired after the 2023 season. Jurgens started 16 games in 2024 and made the Pro Bowl.

He plays on an offensive line filled with All-Pros and Pro Bowlers and is considered the best in the NFL. He anchored the Eagles’ line and helped running back Saquon Barkley gain a franchise-record 2,005 rushing yards. Jurgens signed a four-year, $68 million contract extension in April.

“I think it comes naturally,” Jurgens said about wanting to improve for himself and his teammates.

“I think it comes from the level and standard being so high that you just don’t want to let people down and when you have a close bond to the guys in the room that you do and you care about them, you just don’t want to let them down.

“I think that’s kind of where it’s at.”

Jurgens with the Huskers

Jurgens had a stellar career at Nebraska — on the field and in the classroom. He was third-team All-Big Ten in 2021 and Nebraska’s Offensive Lineman of the Year. He was an Academic All-Big Ten in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

In 2018, a redshirt season, Jurgens worked at tight end and center.

In the Eagles media guide he was asked who were his favorite athletes growing up. “Lavonte David and Ndamukong Suh,” Jurgens said. “I was a big Huskers football fan, so those were guys I looked up to.”

Jurgens is Nebraska through and through. His great grandfather established Jurgens Farms in Pickrell in 1907. Jurgens is from Beatrice, a town of 12,000, where his high school football field was named after him in June.

Back to that NFC title game. Imagine how his nerve-damaged back must have felt. As a center, Jurgens was bent over every play, colliding with men as large as him, run blocking, pass protecting, getting knocked to the cold January ground. Plus, running the Eagles’ famed “tush push” play.

Jurgens was asked this week about the Washington game: Was that the most pain you’ve ever played with?

Jurgens paused a second before answering. “Yeah,” he said, quietly. He didn’t elaborate. He gave a one-word answer.

His message was sent on the field, loud and clear, in the NFL playoffs last winter.

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