Jason Kelce is almost two years removed from retiring, but he still monitors his beloved Philadelphia Eagles closely.
This week, the former Eagles center straight up said what many fans have been thinking: The Eagles should be using Tank Bigsby more, especially with injuries plaguing the San Francisco 49ers defense.
In a January 8 appearance on SportsRadio 94WIP, Kelce explained why utilizing Bigsby more could be huge against San Francisco, as their linebacking corps is currently in shambles.
“I hope to see a pretty decent usage of Tank at this point,” Kelce said. “I mean, how many times does a guy have to flash? Why are we not giving this guy more [carries]?”
Jason Kelce Explains Why He Wants to See Tank Bigsby Get More Playing Time vs. 49ers
“I hope to see a pretty decent usage of Tank at this point. I mean, how many times does a guy have to flash to be like, ‘Why are we not giving this guy more?'”
Kelce spent 13 seasons with the Eagles after arriving as a sixth-round pick in 2011. He became one of the defining players of his era, anchoring the offensive line during the team’s Super Bowl LII run and earning multiple All-Pro selections before retiring in the spring of 2024.
These days, Kelce watches the Eagles from a different seat, but the way he sees the game has not changed. When he talks about playoff football, he’s worth listening to. Kelce says he wants the Eagles to mix Bigsby in more with lead back Saquon Barkley, as their running styles are very different.
“It pairs up so well with what Saquon does,” Kelce said about Bigsby’s style. “Saquon is so good at reading these zone plays and hitting them front side, hitting them back side. Tank isn’t reading anything, I’m convinced — he just goes shoom! When you’re a linebacker, unless you fill that hole on a guy like that, he’s gonna get 4 or 5 yards.”
Bigsby Breaking Out in the Playoffs Would Be Huge
GettyJason Kelce wants the Philadelphia Eagles to give Tank Bigsby more playing time vs. the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs.
Acquired early in the season, Bigsby never became a focal point of the offense, but his production was solid whenever his number was called. He finished the regular season with 63 carries for 356 yards and two touchdowns, averaging a very impressive 5.7 yards per carry. He wasn’t used heavily, but when he was, the offense seemed to stay on schedule.
With San Francisco dealing with injuries in the middle of its defense, having a solid one-two punch at running back could only be a good thing.
Bigsby is coming off a Week 18 win over the Commanders where he served as the team’s lead back, and he did well, finishing with 75 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries (4.7 yards per rush). Head coach Nick Sirianni was complimentary about Bigsby’s game afterwards.
“He runs hard,” Sirianni said about Bigsby after the win. “He’s got extremely good ability to make you miss, while also being able to put his shoulder down and finish off runs through contact. I thought he did a lot of good things. You saw him on a check down that got a big gain, getting him the ball in space there. When you are able to go through it and then be able to get the ball to the back, that’s a lot of space for him. He made a guy miss and picked up a big play, so I thought he did a lot of good things.”
We’ll see if he continues to get the opportunity to make those good things happen.
Jason Kelce Implores Eagles to Use This 1 Player More vs. 49ers