It was widely assumed that Jason Kelce would be starting for the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. The All-Pro center had been missing at training camp since August 9 while rehabbing from “routine” elbow surgery.
The Eagles insisted Kelce would be ready for the regular-season opener, then the team’s “fearless leader” showed up at practice last week looking fine. Just in case anyone wasn’t convinced about Kelce’s legendary toughness, the future Hall of Famer made it official. He’s locked and loaded for Sunday.
“I’ll play, for sure,” Kelce told SportsRadio 94WIP. “The elbow’s great. I practiced for the first time last week. Elbow feels really good, feels better than it’s felt probably a couple of years, honestly.”
Kelce was a full participant at Wednesday’s practice as game preparations began. Ditto for starting running back Miles Sanders. Here is the first injury report ahead of Week 1:
Wednesday injury report.
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Level of Concern About Miles Sanders
Miles Sanders has been nursing a sore hamstring since the preseason opener on August 12. He took some reps in individual drills on September 1 but didn’t appear to be a full participant at practice. Six days later, Sanders was back on the field for a walk-through.
Head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t sound overly concerned about his starter’s status. He seems poised to play versus Detroit.
“That was the necessary amount of time,” Sirianni said for Sanders to sit out. “As far as my level of concern, not high.”
Nick Sirianni said every Eagles player on the active roster will be practicing in some capacity Wednesday. So expect Miles Sanders (hamstring) and Jason Kelce (elbow) to be out there.
Sirianni has three other rushers on the roster after the team inked Trey Sermon. Kenny Gainwell and Boston Scott round out the group. The Eagles also have an extra spot after the team placed Andre Dillard on injured reserve. Sirianni isn’t in a rush to fill that spot.
“Right now we don’t have to fill the roster spot,” Sirianni said. “We want to do what’s best for the team, fill it with the right person, the right player.”
Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown: ‘Ready to Go to War’
A.J. Brown recently said he was “ready to go to war” with Jalen Hurts. Already best friends off the field, the two playmakers continue to grow their chemistry on the field. Brown and Hurts are a big play waiting to happen.
Inside my @PhillyInquirer exclusive w/ #Eagles A.J. Brown, we discuss the rush of emotions he experienced following his trade from Tennessee.
AJ also opens up about fatherhood & linking with his best friend Jalen Hurts.
“I’m ready to go to war for him.”
Sirianni was asked to evaluate Hurts heading into Week 1. What does he see? A driven quarterback who loves football.
“We’ve talked a lot about his development as a football player,” Sirianni told reporters. “I think what we’ve seen at practice over and over and over again is him being able to get through reads quicker, him being more accurate with his throws.
“So, it’s the same thing we’ve been talking about through the last, seems like the last month, of just his progression as a player. Guys that are competitive, guys that are tough, and guys that love football have the ability to reach their ceiling and I see him continuing to grow.”
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Eagles Release Injury Report: Jason Kelce, Miles Sanders Updates