Cam Jurgens is Ready for the Next Step
The Eagles won't be back playing competitive football for another seven months after coming up just short in Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Over that time, there will be many transactions that will have a ripple effect. For Cam Jurgens, a number of potential dominoes could impact the short-term future of the 2022 second-round pick.
The butterfly effect could be everything from a second redshirt season to a starting spot on the best offensive line in football.
Jurgens, the 51st overall pick last April, was a luxury pick for what turned out to be a 16-4 season for Philadelphia. The Eagles understood Jason Kelce was in place for another season and the veteran All-Pro delivered another spectacular year at age 35.
The Eagles stayed healthy on the offensive line for the most part as well and Jurgens got his feet wet with 35 offensive snaps, a paltry 3% of the team's total, and another nine reps in blowout wins over the New York Giants and San Francisco in the postseason.
Jurgens spoke to reporters during the team's locker room cleanout on Tuesday.
"Just being consistent," Jurgens said of his introduction to the NFL as Kelce's backup. "Coming in every day, working hard, learning, getting better. Trying not to waste any time."
With a third child on the way and the bumps and bruises getting more difficult for Kelce to fight through, continuing what will likely be defined as a Hall of Fame career is a yearly cost-benefit analysis for the veteran at this point.
Before the season, Kelce intimated to some of his close friends on the team that this would be his last. He had so much fun and played so well, however, that running it back is on the table.
Kelce will be taking some time but will likely inform the Eagles of his plans before free agency in an effort to help GM Howie Roseman plan for 2023. His retirement would be the simplest route for Jurgens to step in next season as the starting center.
"I’m sure I’ll be talking to him throughout this time," Jurgens said. "He’s got a baby on the way. I think he’s got a lot of stuff to deal with. I’m sure he’s excited about the arrival (of his child)."
If Kelce does return for the 2023 season, it's likely that Jurgens' immediate future resides at right guard where veteran Issac Seumalo, 29, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after a career season.
Spotrac.com's valuation of Seumalo's next contract is just over $12M on a two-year deal, the latter held down because of the serious foot injury Seumalo suffered in 2021.
With big-money deals already earmarked for Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, and what would be a returning Kelce on the O-Line, that number would almost assuredly be too rich for the Eagles, especially with a high-level pick like Jurgens waiting in the wings and the massive extension Jalen Hurts is expected to get.
"I can definitely work (right guard) into the offseason," said Jurgens. "And we’ll be back here for OTAs as well."
The finances make it almost certain that Jurgens won't be dealing with a second season as a backup.
"I mean, I’m going to approach it the same as any offseason," he said. "Go in expecting to get better, get stronger, and the offseason is a good time to work on speed, strength, and skill. And when you get back to the team, you work on position stuff, and we’ll see.
"... Whatever the decision is, I’ll be OK either way. I’d love to learn under (Kelce) or play next to him for another year. That would be pretty cool."
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
