PHILADELPHIA – Jason Kelce felt the pull of retirement after the Eagles endured a miserable 2020 season and a second Super Bowl soon seemed like a joke. the Christmas Album Crooner,honor mum and All-Pro Center – how many players have all of these titles on their NFL.com bio? – considered leaving at the end of last season. His future was one of the most pressing questions off-season, so Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni sent in the big guy two cases of beer to persuade him to stay.
So Kelce stayed.
“I’ve learned now that I don’t know when the last game is coming,” said 35-year-old Kelce.
Hey, at least Kelce knows for sure when the last game this season is coming up.
Kelce has tried not to think that the Super Bowl against Kansas City could be his last game as an Eagle. But he’s not the only veteran Eagle and Super Bowl champion with a bleak future. Kelce, Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham are the only remnants of former coach Andy Reid’s final 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’re tough guys, tenacious,” Reid said. “They are good leaders, fun to be around and good football players. Everyone has their own characteristics but in general I would tell you that about everyone, 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 longtime stars — the Core Four — have won a Super Bowl under former coach Doug Pederson and won just four games in 2020. They got injured and set records. They also raised the standard of what it means to be an eagle. The best way to do that is to go out there and win the big one in style.
“Since the day I’ve been here, that’s all they’ve been talking about,” said defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. “Tell me how you felt going to the Super Bowl and all the memories you had. It’s pretty cool to have people who’ve done this before.”
Hargrave’s nod to the veterans was cut short when Graham donned his bright Super Bowl jacket – with tags dangling from the sleeve – in the locker next door. All they need is a new ring to complete the ensemble.
If they beat the Chiefs, some in Philly could be at the top.
This is no ordinary game for Kelce. On the Kansas City side, there’s Reid, the coach who drafted him. His is over there too Brother, tight end Travis Kelce, this is the first time siblings have competed in the Super Bowl. One more thing, Kelce’s wife Kylie is pregnant and the couple is bring their gynecologist to Arizona just in case.
Kelce was as long-lived as it gets, the Super Bowl taking him to 149 straight games.
“He’s in training every day, limping around and giving everything to the team,” said tight end Dallas Goedert.
Let’s take a look at some of the foursome’s finest moments:
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Jason Kelce. Age 35. Middle. Sixth-round pick, 2011. Five-time first-team All-Pro.
The stocky, bushy-haired Bird has been a fixture on the offensive line since his draft and as Iron Man, having missed most of the 2012 season with a partially torn MCL and torn cruciate ligament. He is in the last season of his contract.
A fan favorite, he’s done everything off the field, from singing the national anthem at a 76ers game, partying with the Phanatic and stomping on a beer to a thunderous ovation at a postseason Phillies game.
But the moment that endeared him to Philly faithful for life came at the 2018 Super Bowl parade, when he dressed up as one of Philadelphia’s famous Mummers and the ultimate underdog delivered a fiery, mundane speech that drew the crowd in frenzy.
“No one likes us! Nobody likes us! Nobody likes us! We do not care”, exclaimed Kelce. “We’re from Philly! (Explosive) Philly. Nobody likes us! We do not care!”
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Brandon Graham. Age 34. Defensive end. Choice of the first round. 2010. 2020 Pro Bowl.
The most famous moment in Eagles history is the trick play where QB Nick Foles scored a touchdown to lead them past the New England Patriots to the franchise’s first Super Bowl win. Right behind? Graham’s Stripsack by Tom Brady in the same game with 2:21 in the fourth quarter. Derek Barnett recovered and the Eagles won 41-33.
He missed most of last season with a torn Achilles tendon but returned to post a career-high 11 sacks. Graham said he is not retiring and looks forward to trying free hand for the first time in his career.
“I know I’m not the guy I used to be,” he said. “I feel like I’m still happening the same thing. I am able to be dominant in the running game. I enjoy being the leader for the boys.”
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Lane Johnson. Age 32. Correct tackle. Choice of the first round. 2013. Two-time first-team All-Pro.
Johnson, who has signed until 2025, evaded surgery near the end of the season and played through the postseason with a groin adductor tear. He didn’t allow a sack all season. But Johnson has received praise for his openness about his mental health. Johnson bowed out during the 2021 season as he battled anxiety and depression and has since shared its history in clinics treating depression in the area.
“I felt the shame, I felt like a crutch,” Johnson said last year.
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Fletcher Cox. Age 32. Defensive tackle. 2012 First Round Pick. 2018 First Team All-Pro.
Cox added seven sacks this season to give him 65 in his career. Cox was briefly sacked last season before signing a new contract for essentially a season. He may not be back in Philly next season, but he’s not giving up.
“I am still play at a high levelsaid Cox. “It hadn’t even crossed my mind.”
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