Eagles' Jason Kelce: 'We're Not Going to Replace Issac Seumalo'
PHILADELPHIA - For years, Isaac Seumalo was one of the more underrated Philadelphia Eagles.
Revered by All-Pro teammates Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, and beloved by offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, Seumalo reached the end of the road in Philadelphia after last season. The veteran was simply too good to be the runt of the litter on perhaps the league’s best offensive line in a salary-cap world.
Ultimately, Seumalo headed west across the Keystone State for Pittsburgh and a three-year, $24 million contract. It's a reunion with Andy Weidl, the Steelers’ assistant GM who became the Eagles’ assistant director of player personnel shortly after Philadelphia drafted Seumalo out of Oregon State in the third round of the 2016 draft.
What struck the Eagles’ brass about Seumalo entering the league was his versatility and smarts. As a rookie, the Honolulu native played all five positions on the offensive line and Philadelphia ultimately saw him as the heir apparent to Kelce at center.
Seumalo was the first in what has become a long line of potential Kelce successors, a group that also includes current left guard Landon Dickerson and the leader in the clubhouse to replace Seumalo this season, Cam Jurgens.
But Kelce made one thing clear:
“We’re not going to replace Isaac,” he said . “... Me personally, I think he’s probably the smartest player I’ve ever been around. Really, really gifted physically, mentally, across the board. So I think the Steelers are getting a steal.
“That’s a good pun, I guess.”
An all-time franchise great, Kelce is still ticking at a high level and will be entering his 13th season in 2023 as a five-time All-Pro and an almost sure bet for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Seumalo first settled in at left guard in Philadelphia, ironically the only position he didn’t play in college with the Beavers, and Stoutland often noted it was like having two centers on the field with both Kelce and Seumalo able to seamlessly identify the protection that needed to be called.
A serious Lisfranc injury wiped out most of Seumalo’s 2022 season and when he returned he was moved over to right guard because of how well then-rookie Dickerson handled the left guard role when Seumalo was out.
If anything, playing between Kelce and Johnson made Seumalo even better and he had his best season in 2022-23, earning Pro Bowl alternate status while being graded as the 10th-best offensive guard in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, five spots ahead of Dickerson, who was named to the Pro Bowl.
“Isaac is a really, really special player,” Kelce said at the NovaCare Complex Wednesday. “I know we’ve said that here for a long time, and I still don’t think people really truly grasp what he did for our room.
“... I think he’s one of the best guards in the NFL, and I think he has been. I think he’s one of the most consistent players I’ve ever been around, one of the most consistent people I’ve ever been around.”
The assumption that Jurgens will seamlessly shift over to right guard or rookie third-round pick Tyler Steen can quickly transition from college tackle to pro guard, and play at Seumalo’s level is reaching, something Kelce said plainly by saying Philly won't be able to replace him.
And the Eagles?
“There’s going to be someone new in there, and they’re going to have their attributes that they’re going to excel with, and I’m looking forward to seeing who does a really good job with that,” Kelce said.
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-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
