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Join Telegram ChannelThings are going to be very different for the Philadelphia Eagles this season.
For the first time since the 2010 season, Jason Kelce will not be the starting center.
The 36-year-old center retired in the offseason and will be missed. Kelce has gotten better as he's gotten older, earning first-team All-Pro honors in his final three seasons with the team.
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) competes in the NFL Pro Bowl skills competition at UCF Nicholson Fieldhouse. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)
Jason and his brother Travis Kelce talked about Jalen Hurts and the new responsibilities he has without Jason on the line of scrimmage on a recent episode of “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce.”
Travis first addressed what the Eagles quarterback had said about what happened in previous seasons.
“(Hurts) felt we had a great player in Jason Kelce who took on a lot of responsibility and so I was told not to worry about a lot of things and my desire to learn over the years was kind of stopped,” Travis said.
Jason reacted with displeasure at how the Philadelphia media spun Hurts' comments into something negative.
“There's a lot of media in Philadelphia that interpret that as a negative assessment, like he's looking for an excuse or something, and I shared exactly that sentiment with Jalen,” Jason said.
“I think he's at a stage in his career now where he can take the next step by making a lot of protection decisions and doing things that I did for him early in his career when he was a young player.”
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Jason Kelce (62) of the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2024 Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)
Jason went on to explain that he thought having Hurts take over the responsibilities at the line of scrimmage would force the quarterback to be more of a leader.
“But I think him taking on that responsibility is going to accelerate his game in every area. I think he's ready for it. One, in terms of knowledge, and two, I think he's ready just because he's a more experienced player.”
“He's going to become a leader and he has to be more of a leader and take on more responsibility. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes for him this year.”
Travis added that Jason saying Hurts needs to be more of a leader isn't a negative thing.
“There’s nothing negative that can be taken from this. All that can be taken from this is that he’s taken another step forward. He’s getting better, ladies and gentlemen. So don’t take this as a negative just because it’s something he didn’t have to worry about in years past,” Travis said.
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) looks on during practice at NovaCare Complex. (Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)
“You have to understand that he wants to know, and now he's working hard to understand these things so he can play better, faster, with more confidence.”
Travis compared what Hurts is going through to Patrick Mahomes' development as a quarterback.
“Pat Mahomes talking about how he couldn't even read a defense the first year he was in the league and all that stuff — you've got to find that rhythm of wanting to get better, and you've really got to be around coaches and players and people who will tell you exactly how to do that and how to figure things out,” Travis continued.
“I just think it's overblown if you look at it as a negative. All I see is him improving and looking for ways to improve in 2024.”
Jason thinks Hurts is ready to take command of the line of scrimmage.
“I think he’s ready to take the next step and I think in some ways it’s going to help him become a better player. I don’t think you mean that in a negative way. I think Trav, you did really well, too. I’m looking forward to seeing how Jalen develops as a player.”
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Jason Kelce (62) of the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2024 Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)
The Eagles open their season against the Green Bay Packers on Friday in Brazil, and Jason isn't sure what the Packers will throw at Hurts and the offense.
“It’s always interesting to play new coordinators the first week, especially guys who weren’t promoted from within. The Eagles are playing a coordinator, Jeff (Hafley), I forget his last name. But he was in San Francisco for a year and then the last five or six years he was in college. You wonder what this guy is going to do?” Jason said.
“I don't really know what to expect. The Packers, for the most part, have been playing a 3-4 system lately, and this guy has a lot of stuff in his veins, so it'll be interesting to see what that looks like.”
The Eagles started last season 10-1 but faltered, losing five of their last six games and falling 32-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round.
They particularly struggled with the late-game blitz, and Jason knows the Packers will turn up the heat on Friday.
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Former Philadelphia Eagle Jason Kelce reacts before the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. (Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports)
“The (Eagles) coaches have had a busy offseason, they know they're going to get a lot of offense early, given the way last season ended. They've focused on different ways to beat the blitz, getting rid of the ball, checking opponents and setting up the protection to be conducive to the play that's being called.”
“I think all those things that they've worked on throughout the offseason are going to lead to a much more productive offense, especially in that regard.”
Following his playing career, Jason will appear on ESPN's “Monday Night Football Countdown” in addition to his weekly podcast “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce.”
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