‘Philadelphia has been a blessing for me’

Center Jason Kelce is returning to the Eagles for the 2023 season because, quite simply, he’s continuing to enjoy the game. The locker room. The Eagles organization. Playing for Head Coach Nick Sirianni and Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Jeff Stoutland.

So, he’s for more in what should be a career that eventually lands him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“You think about it and the moment the season is over, you try to decompress a little bit and because we played in the Super Bowl there was a little less time because you want to make a decision before free agency starts to let the team know what’s happening,” Kelce said moments after signing his contract at the NovaCare Complex for the 2023 campaign.

“Howie (Roseman) was very kind to me in making it open-ended with no pressure but I understand the circumstances. Ultimately, just trying to weigh the pros and cons, right? This is a wonderful business and I love playing football, but there are drawbacks. You sit there and you think of all of those things, talk to the right people, and eventually, it became clear that I’m not quite ready to call it quits yet.

“I really enjoy this team, this organization, the coaches. It was a fun year last year and I’m looking forward to another fun one this year.”

Kelce has said in the past that “when it’s time to stop, it will be clear,” and that’s very much in his mind. But that’s not the feeling now. His wife, Kylie, told him that “if you’re still debating it at this point, I don’t think you’re ready to stop and you obviously still love it and if you quit now, you’ll regret it,” and that resonated with Kelce.

Kelce has made six Pro Bowls. He’s been a first-team All-Pro five times. There are only two centers in NFL history since 1970 – former Steelers Mike Webster and Dermontii Dawson – who have accomplished as much and both of them are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There is a lot of gas in Kelce’s tank after his outstanding 2022 play.