The Eagles Will Never Find Another Jason Kelce
Enjoy Jason Kelce while you still can.
The now annual will he or won't he when it comes to Kelce and retirement might be anti-climatic after the 2022 season, at least that's what one of Kelce's closest friends on the Eagles believes.
"He says it’s going to be his last year," Lane Johnson admitted on Friday. "We’ll see about it, but I’m cherishing my time with him."
Media members are also enjoying their time with Kelce, who is honest to a fault whether it's pointing out the flaw in a particular question like the premise of multiple additions of the offensive side of the football ball (it's really just A.J. Brown as Kelce pointed out) or rubber-stamping the thought his unit got put through the wringer on Friday by a Philadelphia defense that does have all the moving parts this year.
"It didn’t look good," Kelce admitted after practice.
Always the optimist Kelce is already looking forward to Saturday morning.
"The defense probably feels that we got the better of them the first day and they came out here with a lot of energy and effort (Friday)," Kelce said. "And that’s what you want to see. You want to see both sides of the ball competing against each other.
"I think that’s going to make us all better."
Kelce himself hasn't been a full participant over the first four days of camp as he progresses from a recent case of COVID.
"I feel pretty good," he said. "I’m in the COVID protocols right now. But outside of that physically I feel good. I don’t really feel any cardiovascular effects. I think I’m progressing really, really well."
In his stead has been rookie second-round pick Cam Jurgens, the latest in a long line of Kelce heir-apparents but one the veteran himself has personally rubber-stamped, another tea leaf pointing toward retirement after the season.
"You notice exactly what you saw on tape. He’s strong, he’s athletic, he’s physical," Kelce said of Jurgens. "He’s a very athletic player. But he’s also locked in mentally. He’s got a great temperament. Since he’s been here this offseason his approach has been great. He’s got a very bright future ahead of himself, obviously."
Cam Jurgens takes the field for Day 2 of training camp
Ed Kracz/SI Fan Nation Eagles Today
That future will have to wait, however, as Kelce makes his final push toward a potential gold jacket.
The Eagles' much-ballyhooed light practice schedule has been a godsend to Kelce, who will turn 35 in November.
With a more traditional practice format, Kelce may have already called it a career.
"The way the league has gone, and you see this all over the place, there’s more sports science, there’s more research on players' safety, keeping guys healthy," Kelce said. "... What’s the most important thing we’re trying to get out of practice really to be effective on game day."
An old-school tough guy who has played through numerous injuries en route to starting 122 consecutive games, Kelce has evolved much like the NFL but that doesn't mean he's averse to having fun.
Kelce added bubble wrap to the Guardian Caps the NFL has mandated for certain positions during training camp.
"I was just having fun," Kelce smiled. "... They said the Guardian Caps add 20 percent protection. I figure the bubble wrap gave me another 2 or 3 percent. I’m just adding some more protective layers."
Later Kelce turned more serious when it came to player safety and those trying to make a difference.
"There’s a lot of people in this building who do numerous studies, GPS loads, a lot of different criteria to make sure you’re putting us in the best and optimal situation for the team and the individual," said Kelce. "And I think that that has certainly not just benefitted me but benefitted everybody.
"You can't ignore the results. We were a very healthy team last year and hopefully, that continues this year."
Whenever Kelce does decide to put the period on his career, the Eagles will march on and may even find some other players who can reach the heights of all-time franchise great like their All-Pro center.
It might even be Jurgens, or mammoth rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis, who Kelce joked is “6-foot-6, 340 pounds and ran a (4.7) 40. He should be pretty good at football.”
What the Eagles can never replace is the candor, the sincerity, and the character of the Cleveland-area kid who turned into a Philadelphia treasure.
“He’s the GOAT. Kelce’s the GOAT,” Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay yelled while taking a break from handing out some autographs.
Yes, he is.
Cherish your time with Jason Kelce.
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talker Jody McDonald, every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com and JAKIBSports.com. You can reach John at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
