How can the Eagles replace a 13-year starting, 7x pro bowler, 6x All-Pro, and a Super Bowl-winning leader? The short answer is, that they probably can’t.
Lane Johnson describes Jason as the “nucleus” of their team.
“With how he plays, with his emotions and passion for the game, it bleeds into everything we’ve been trying to do here for years with the culture.”
Teammate, and fellow offensive lineman, Jordan Mailata has a picture of Kelce wearing the Batman Mask as the wallpaper on his phone.
“Fat Batman is a true leader”
In addition to playing at a high level and being available week in and out, what mattered to him the most were the relationships he created over the last 13 years.
“We played a lot of football together. We know each other very well. We’ve been through a lot of battles. It’s really rare that many guys get to play together for over a decade.”
Quarterback Jalen Hurt appreciated the veteran leadership from Kelce, and other veterans on the team, and he was always watching and learning from them.
“They’re definitely guys we can lean on their experience. Experience is the biggest teacher. Having those guys around is definitely beneficial.’’
As a first-time Head Coach, even Nick Sirianni leaned on Jason and the other core four as he adjusted to his new role and city.
“When I first got the job here, I wasn’t like other first-year head coaches. Why I said that was because I had these unbelievable players that have been to the mountaintop, that have played in this league for 10-plus year. Two on the offensive line, two on the defensive line. Knowing what it takes to be successful, knowing the wins that they’ve had, that’s obviously a huge advantage for our football team.”
Eagles won’t be able to replace what Kelce brought but that’s ok
How to replace him is for another day, and likely an impossible task to accomplish. This time is for reflection and appreciation of the time we all shared on his journey. We all remember and cherish the moments he mentioned in his farewell speech. From being drafted, to overcoming his struggles on the field, to becoming one of the greatest centers of all time. The Snow Bowl, winning a Super Bowl, and losing against his brother and former Head Coach in his final Super Bowl appearance.
Jason has taken us all on his journey, and he welcomed all of the fans to join him along the way. His defeats felt like our own, and his triumphs were celebrated by everyone who loved Jason and the Eagles like they were ours as well.
His Hall of Fame career has come to an end, but the way he all made us feel, and the memories and achievements he created live on. And even if the time was brief, he made every person who ever felt like an underdog feel like a winner.
“And you know who the biggest underdog is? It’s y’all, Philadelphia. For 52 years, y’all have been waiting for this. You want to talk about an underdog? You want to talk about a hungry dog? For 52 years, you’ve been starved of this championship.”
Jason’s leadership and tenacity allowed us all to celebrate the greatest parade the City of Philadelphia ever had and for one shining moment, the city that had been so starved was on top of the world. Thank you, Jason, and best wishes for whatever you choose to do in the future.
As always, thank you for reading
Follow me on X @PHLEagleNews
AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
