Aaron Donald Pays Respect to Philadelphia Eagles' Jason Kelce : 'Hated Playing Against (Him)'

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2029 has the potential to be a lot of fun, especially if Jason Kelce and Aaron Donald earn induction in their first year on the ballot.

They retired from the game within two weeks of each other, with Kelce going first on March 4 and followed by Donald on March 15.

Donald, the former Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle, is a shoo-in for the Hall. Kelce should be, but you never know with centers.

Imagine the two of them together in Canton, hanging out, watching the Hall of Fame game together, being interviewed by various media, and sharing a stage in their gold jackets’ once combatants, now friends.

Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce (62). | Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Donald had a few complimentary things to say about the now-retired Philadelphia Eagles center when he gave a recent interview to Chris Long, a Super Bowl winner with the Eagles in 2017, on Long’s Green Light podcast.

Long asked Donald which offensive line or offensive lineman gave him the most problems during his excellent career, and he wasted no time. It was Kelce.

“I hated playing against Philly Kelce,” said Donald to Long. “His little fast (bleep) always ran full. He would snap the ball and run over right now, and just- I’m like, bro, you got some good guards, let them work. You don’t got to help them every time. …

“I’m like every single play every time I played the Eagles, bro I really never really got no one-on-ones I probably had like one or two during a game, and that would be it.”

Donald had 111 sacks in his 10-year career, but there are just two teams in the league Donald never had a sack against. One was the New York Jets, but Donald only played against them twice.

The other is the Eagles, who Donald faced five times and went 1-4 against. He had just five solo tackles and five assists in those five games.

Kelce has the ultimate respect for Donald, once comparing to playing him like “trying to wrestle a Liger (a hybrid offspring of male lion and a tigress) coated in baby oil.”

The center said recently on his New Heights podcast with his younger brother Travis that the Eagles simply had Donald’s number but was a player who commanded such respect and fear for his ability to ruin a game plan that the Eagles would build their entire game plan around stopping Donald.

Kelce said Donald would yell at him, ‘Kelce, stop comin’ over here. What are you helpin’ the guard for?”

It was a plan that worked.

Maybe in five years in Canton, the two can tell more stories about their competitions against one another.