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The biggest question mark of the Philadelphia Eagles’ offseason rests on the broad shoulders of Jason Kelce. Will the perennial All-Pro center (and future Hall of Famer) return for his 13th NFL season? He has openly talked about retirement for three years straight before deciding to run it back.
Kelce was non-commital about his intentions for 2023 in the minutes immediately following Super Bowl LVII. The scars were too new. The wounds were too raw. The 35-year-old had looked rejuvenated throughout the year, enjoying the youthful energy rubbing off from head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
He was named first-team All-Pro and qualified for his sixth Pro Bowl. There was absolutely no regression on the field. But the wear and tear on his body remain a concern, plus the emotional toll of losing the Super Bowl will surely play a factor in his final decision. It’ll be interesting to see what he does.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have started conducting offseason business as they look ahead to 2023. One of Howie Roseman’s first moves involved paying Kelce a $3 million bonus which created $2.4 million in cap space, per ESPN’s Field Yates. Kelce earned $14 million, including incentives, on his one-year deal from 2022.
Kelce Addressees NFL Future on ‘New Heights’ Podcast
Kelce has been asked about his future in a myriad of ways dating back to training camp. He’s not sure, nor he is ready to make any kind of official announcement. He’s been consistent with that messaging for the past six months, including when talking to reporters at Super Bowl week.
Kelce touched on possible retirement again on his “New Heights” podcast this week as he and brother Travis rehashed the Eagles-Chiefs title game. When Travis asked him if he was ready to hang up his cleats, Jason still couldn’t answer the question.
“Man, I can’t answer that right now. No chance,” Jason said, via NFL Media’s Nick Shook. “We’ll answer that soon enough, I guess. I don’t know the answer to that right now. So I can’t answer it. I do know it was a lot of fun this year. I had an amazing team and time doing this show with my brother, so we’ll see. I’m gonna let the batteries recharge. I’m exhausted, man.”
Kelce’s Patented ‘Tush Push’ May Be Ruled Illegal
The Eagles were unstoppable on 4th-and-1 due to their aggressive, pile-pushing offensive line, something that Kelce wanted to do on every short-inches play. Why not? The team was able to surround Jalen Hurts with big bodies and literally throw him forward. It was almost unfair at times.
And now the NFL has started a campaign to possibly outlaw the so-called “tush push.” The league’s competition committee is going to discuss making it illegal when owners convene in Phoenix in late March. FOX Sports’ rules analyst Dean Blandino told The 33rd Team that he’d be “shocked if they don’t make a change.” It has been a heated talking point among coaches and executives all year.
“It amounts to a rugby scrum,” Blandino told Paul Domowitch. “The NFL wants to showcase the athleticism and skill of our athletes. This is just not a skillful play. This is just a tactic that is not an aesthetically pleasing play, and I think the competition committee is going to take a look at it.’”
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