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Eagles center Jason Kelce fired the team up and told them to “press on” prior to Week 16.
Everyone is always trying to predict the next Philadelphia Eagles great to get elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There are a slew of interesting candidates in that conversation, one that starts and ends with Jason Kelce.
The All-Pro center has talked candidly about his candidacy for Canton and came to the conclusion that he “doesn’t know” if he deserves a spot. Kelce credited the “unbelievable” teammates and coaches for putting him in the position he is in. Maybe that gets him a Gold Jacket, maybe it doesn’t.
But that hasn’t stopped gallons of ink from being spilled on Kelce’s Hall of Fame case. Mike Tanier of Pro Football Outsiders was the latest to weigh in on the raging debate while he detailed how hard it is for centers to get in. It’s one of the toughest positions to get recognition.
He brought up the names of nine other elite centers still searching for enshrinement, then reminded everyone that Dermontti Dawson – the greatest center of the 1990s – “spent three years as a semifinalist and three more as a finalist before enshrinement.” However, Tanier had the perfect solution to help Kelce skip the line:
So be sure to slow any “first ballot” rolls. Kelce will face tough competition once he becomes eligible. He may be forced to wait until his brother arrives on the ballot and the committee decides (to the Hall brass’ delight) that a Kelce Brothers class would both be fair and engage national fan interest.
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Kelce Mentoring Cam Jurgens, Other Rookies
Kelce had been contemplating retirement after the 2021 season ended. The 34-year-old thought long and hard about it, then realized he would miss the game too much. The fact that the Eagles made the postseason last year played a huge factor in his decision.
“I had a lot of fun with Nick [Sirianni] as the head coach and how everything went,” Kelce said on May 5. “I stepped back and thought about it. First of all, you’re thinking physically can I do it again? Where do you feel? Once I felt like I was kind of okay on that end it was pretty much a no brainer. I felt like I still wanted to do another one.”
And he’ll return to mentor his replacement at center: Cam Jurgens. Kelce watched tape on the 290-pounder from Nebraska prior to the draft and gave his notes to the front office. The Eagles took Jurgens in the second round.
“Your game is going to be what it is when it’s all said and done,” Kelce said, “and that’s going to be for me a good track record, but the way you make a lasting impact as a player and as a person is how you influence other people, and hopefully helped others realize their dreams.”
Eagles Ink Deal with Premium Tequila Brand
The Eagles announced a multi-year deal with Real Azul, an ultra-premium tequila made from 100% blue agave. Lincoln Financial Field will be outfitted with portable bars on the concourse level this season, then a co-branded bar will be permanently added in 2023.
Fans will have the opportunity to enter exclusive sweepstakes to win game tickets and a VIP Real Azul tequila tasting with an Eagles Legend, according to a press release. Real Azul has also designed a limited-edition Eagles bottle that incorporates the classic Kelly Green color into the bottle design.
