Eagles Notebook – Kelce’s Future

[time2rock]

Eagles Notebook – Kelce’s Future

Posted: February 10th, 2024 | Author: Tommy Lawlor

Will he or won’t he? One of the key questions for the Eagles heading into the offseason is the status of Jason Kelce. He is the best center in football. He’s also the best podcaster. What is his future?

Kelce would be a natural at doing games. He’s got the perfect combination of brains and personality. He’s been an elite player for a long time, but is now having quite the impact off the field. Think about his presence at the Buffalo game a few weeks back. Taylor Swift took a back seat to him and that’s not easy to pull off.

This won’t be an easy decision for Kelce. The Eagles finished the season on a real down note. No player wants to walk away after something like that. At the same time, Kelce is 35 years old. Each season is tough on his body. He might be ready to walk away while relatively healthy and still playing at a high level. Kelce is the kind of driven, competitive player who might not handle it well if his performance dropped.

Part of me wants him to come back for one more year. He’s such a great presence on and off the field. Another part of me is ready for him to walk away. The Eagles need to get younger. As much as I’d like Kelce to leave after a Super Bowl win, you just can’t count on that happening.

We’ll find out his decision soon enough.

*****

I forgot about Isaiah Rodgers when I wrote my piece on the roster. He could play on the outside or in the slot. Rodgers was suspended for 2023 for gambling. He is 26 years old and has started 10 games in his three year career. Rodgers also has PR/KOR experience. I’ll need to watch some 2022 Colts games to get a better feel for him and what he can do for the Eagles.

*****

Some fans were bothered by Covey’s comments. I didn’t have an issue with them at all. I thought he gave a good explanation of what went wrong. There is no one person or one thing to blame. You don’t have a historic collapse like that where it can all tie up neatly. There are a lot of reasons. I didn’t see Covey as trying to blame one person or point the finger in one direction.

Those comments did lead to this point/question.

We have to give Sirianni credit for the good culture of 2021 and 2022. And let’s make sure to point out that things going horribly wrong last year led to an 11-6 record and playoff appearance.

The players stood by Sirianni during and after the season. Things certainly went wrong, but this still feels fixable.

I remember during the 1992 season when Seth Joyner threatened mutiny against Rich Kotite. I remember during the 1998 season when Ray Rhodes had to get on his players because they weren’t paying attention in practice. Those are the kind of coaching issues that felt extreme.

*****

King has worked for the Chargers, Texans and Titans over the past decade. He has not worked with Vic Fangio, but he has coached in similar schemes. I like the fact King is an experienced NFL coach. The Eagles are going to have some young LBs on the roster this year so they will need a coach who knows how to teach and how to deal with NFL offenses. King has had more than a few guys thrive under his tutelage.

King coached Zach Cunningham in both Houston and Tennessee. Howie Roseman spoke highly of Cunningham after the season. Maybe the Eagles would consider bringing him back as depth. They obviously need to spend a pick or some money on a good LB, but I would be okay with Cunningham returning as a backup. He did some good things in 2023.

*****

I’m surprised Roy lasted this long with the Eagles, but I’m also surprised he’s going to be an assistant OL coach somewhere else. I thought he would be ready to run his own O-line. He’s done a good job of supporting Jeff Stoutland in recent years.

http://igglesblitz.com/2024/02/eagles-notebook-kelces/

[UK_EaglesFan89]

I really think Kelce is still undecided. He may be meeting with broadcasters but Brady signed a contract with Fox and then played another year. Kelce may just be seeing what’s out there and what kind of offer he can get.

[time2rock]

Trying to guess what someone else may be thinking (especially when you don't know them) is futile.  We'll find out soon enough.