Kelce announces he's starting Eagles' opener

[time2rock]

Kelce announces he's starting Eagles' opener

 

 

 

Reuben Frank

EAGLES INSIDER

No worries. The streak will continue.

Jason Kelce, who underwent elbow surgery on Aug. 9, said on the 94 WIP Morning Show Wednesday he plans to start against the Lions Sunday in the Eagles’ opener in Detroit.

"I’ll play, for sure,” Kelce said.

Kelce has started 122 consecutive games, the fourth-longest streak in Eagles history and second-longest current streak of starts in the NFL.

Kelce participated in the first week of training camp but didn’t practice on Aug. 9 and popped up on the injury report with an elbow injury. Later in the day, the Eagles revealed that Kelce had been scoped. 

With opening day a month away, all of a sudden Kelce’s availability for the opener against the Lions — and his legendary streak — seemed in jeopardy.

But Kelce returned to practice last Wednesday and said on WIP he’s good to go and also indicated that the injury has lingered for a lot longer than we knew.

"The elbow’s great,” Kelce said. "I practiced for the first time last week. Elbow feels really good, feels better than it’s felt probably a couple years, honestly.”

Kelce hasn’t missed a game since the middle of the 2014 season, when he was out for four games with a sports hernia.  

Kelce, 34, is one of five Eagles in franchise history to start 100 consecutive regular-season games. All five are offensive linemen:

• 144: Jon Runyan [2000-08]
• 127: Jerry Sisemore [1974-82]
• 126: Stan Walters [1975-83]
• 122: Jason Kelce [2014-01]
• 108: Dave Alexander [1988-94]

The only NFL player with a longer current streak of consecutive starts is Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews, who has started 127 games since missing Week 2 of the 2014 season, his rookie year, with an ankle injury.

The only other players currently over 100 are Commanders defensive tackle Charles Leno Jr. (110) and one-time Eagle Alejandro Villanueva, who has started 107 consecutive games but retired after last season.

The next-longest streak of consecutive starts in an Eagles uniform belongs to DeVonta Smith, with four. 

"Looking forward to getting back out there and being back out with my teammates a little more than I have been, to be honest with you,” Kelce said.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/jason-kelce-announces-hes-starting-eagles-opener