Jason Kelce has transitioned from Hall of Fame center of the Philadelphia Eagles , to hilarious NFL media personality and analyst for ESPN. It didn’t take long during last week’s season opener against the Green Bay Packers for Eagles fans to be reminded of that fact.
On Philly’s sixth play of the game, new center Cam Jurgens snapped the ball before quarterback Jalen Hurts was ready, resulting in an ugly turnover deep in Eagles territory. Had the defense not bailed them out with a goal-line stand on the ensuing Packers possession, the script could have flipped on the Eagles’ eventual 34-29 win in Brazil.
The big blunder (and some failed tush-push reps ) aside, Jurgens was solid in his debut at center. He allowed only one pressure in the game in pass protection, per PFF’s advanced stats , and was also solid in the run game as Saquon Barkley galloped for 109 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
Jurgens lined up next to Kelce last season as Philly's starting right guard. Speaking on Philadelphia Sports Talk WIP-FM on Thursday, Kelce had high praise for the former second-round pick out of Nebraska:
He's going to continually get compared to me, which I don't think is fair for him. And then eventually when everybody realizes he's fantastic and a great player, I'll have to live with the fact that there's a guy that's better than me.
Center is Jurgens' natural position. He played there during his college days at Nebraska and established himself as a high-end draft prospect at the position. The Eagles drafted him No. 51 overall in 2022, viewing him as a future successor to Kelce.
Jurgens compares favorably athletically to Kelce, posting a 9.66 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) during his draft cycle. Kelce, the No. 191 overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, posted a 9.50, and both players were viewed as small for their positions.
Toughness is what sets Kelce apart from other NFL greats at his position. The ironman started 156 consecutive regular-season games to close his career, dating back to the 2014 season, and was also in the lineup for all 12 of the Eagles playoff games during that span.
Those are some massive shoes to fill for Jurgens, but the 25-year-old got a ringing endorsement Thursday.
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