PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jason Kelce felt the pull of retirement after the Eagles slogged through a miserable 2020 season and a second Super Bowl any time soon seemed like a joke. The Christmas album crooner,honorary Mummer and All-Pro center — how many players have all those titles in their NFL.com bio? — considered walking away at the end of last season. His future was one of the more pressing offseason questions on tap, so Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni shipped the big guy two cases of beer to coax him to stay.
So Kelce stayed.
“I’ve learned now I don’t know when that last game is going to come,” the 35-year-old Kelce said.
Hey, at least Kelce knows for sure when the last game this season is going to come.
Kelce has tried not to consider that the Super Bowl against Kansas City could be his final game as an Eagle. But he’s not the only veteran Eagle and Super Bowl champion with a murky future. Kelce, Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham are the lone holdovers from former coach Andy Reid’s last season with the Eagles in 2012. There’s a chance none of the three will be back for the 2023 season.
“I know them personally and they are tough guys, tough-minded,” Reid said. “They’re good leaders, fun to be around, and they’re good football players. Each one has their own characteristic, but in general I’d tell you that about all of them, great team guys.”
Lane Johnson completes the four veteran anchors and was a rookie in former coach Chip Kelly’s first season in 2013.
The tenured stars — the Core Four — have won a Super Bowl under former coach Doug Pederson and won just four games in 2020. They’ve been hurt and set records. They’ve also raised the standard on what it means to be an Eagle. The best way to do that is go out and win the big one in style.
“Since the day I got here, that’s all they talk about,” defensive tackle Javon Hargrave said. “Tell me how they feel when they went to the Super Bowl and all the memories they had. It’s pretty cool to have people who have done it before.”
Hargrave’s nod to the veterans was interrupted when Graham pulled on his gaudy Super Bowl jacket — with tags dangling from the sleeve — at the neighboring locker. All they need is a new ring to complete the ensemble.
If they beat the Chiefs, some might go out in Philly on top.
This is no ordinary game for Kelce. On the Kansas City side, there’s Reid, the coach who drafted him. Also over there is his brother, tight end Travis Kelce, marking the first time siblings will face off in the Super Bowl. One more thing, Kelce’s wife Kylie is pregnant and the couple is bringing their ob-gyn to Arizona just in case.
Kelce has been as durable as they come, with the Super Bowl putting him at 149 consecutive games.
“He’s out there at practice every day limping around and giving his all to the team,” tight end Dallas Goedert said.
Let’s take a look at some of the foursome’s finer moments:
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