It remains unclear whether or not Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce will retire from the NFL after the 2023 season.
If the 36-year-old veteran chooses retirement, Matt Holder of Bleacher Report thinks current Tennessee Titans center Aaron Brewer is a solid option for Philly should Kelce hang up his cleats.
“Jason Kelce contemplated retirement last season and is widely expected to hang ’em up at the end of the current campaign when his contract expires,” Holder wrote on November 20. “There are a few different ways the front office can go about replacing Kelce, signing Brewer being one of them.”
Comparing Kelce, a five-time first-team All-Pro and future Hall of Famer, to the 26-year-old Brewer is like comparing apples to oranges. But if Kelce were to retire, the Eagles could do far worse than Brewer as a replacement.
Aaron Brewer: Background & Stats
Titans C Aaron Brewer = underrated
Brewer signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech in 2020. He has appeared in 51 games (33 starts) for Tennessee over the last four seasons.
Per Holder, Brewer has been a “solid-to-good player during his four-year career and has a market value of $5.2 million per year. That’d be a good bang for the Eagles’ buck, especially since Spotrac estimates them to have about $28.3 million in cap space available to begin the offseason.”
The 6-foot-1, 274-pound Brewer has been versatile since entering the league. He has played 1,299 snaps at left guard and 209 snaps at right guard over his first three years. He transitioned to center full-time this season, and it has gone quite well.
Per PFF, he has allowed 12 hurries, 3.0 sacks and six QB hits in 368 pass block snaps this season.
Brewer is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2024, and as Holder noted, he should be affordable.
Will Jason Kelce Retire After This Season?
Travis Kelce on if he thinks Jason Kelce will retire after this season: “You mention the documentary and how it’s supposed to be a retirement thing, a lot of that footage is from the past 3 years. He’s been thinking of retiring for a while. But winning helps you stick around, and…
With the Eagles currently holding the NFL’s best record at 9-1, a second-straight Super Bowl appearance feels almost imminent. If the Eagles continue to win and Kelce continues to remain healthy, a return in 2024 is a definite possibility. If Philly wins the Super Bowl at the end of the season, though, that would be quite the grand exit for the Eagles legend.
On the live broadcast during Philadelphia’s huge week 11 Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs, commentator and analyst Troy Aikman said he believes the Eagles will try to keep Kelce around, as the veteran offensive lineman still looks to be an excellent form.
“We have a lot of talent and a lot of great coaches. We’re going to be that much better when we start clicking and start putting together full games,” Kelce said after beating Kansas City. “I do think that’s going to start happening. We have the players to do it and all of the pieces. I’m definitely happy to be 9-1.”
“Nobody sets the table and gets everyone on the same page better than Jason Kelce. Nobody I have ever been around does that. I have been around some really good guys that get everyone in position,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said after the Chiefs game.
Until Kelce confirms his future intentions regarding retirement, rumors will continue to swirl. It’ll be fascinating to see what he decides, but the way Philly’s season concludes could also make all the difference.
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Eagles Encouraged to Sign Potential Jason Kelce Replacement