Philadelphia is once again spiraling into familiar offensive stagnation. And this time, the calls for an unlikely savior are coming from the broadcast booth. The Eagles look lost, and Jason Kelce still looks like hope. At least to Troy Aikman.
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The Eagles’ season-total –5.22 EPA ranks 16th in the NFL, and for the first time in the Sirianni era, the team owns a negative total offensive EPA beyond Week 11. That’s despite returning nearly their entire Super Bowl LIX roster: Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and at least four of their usual starting five offensive linemen have been available almost every week. Yet Sirianni and Brian Patullo’s operation is on pace to become the least efficient Eagles offense since Sirianni was hired.
The stagnation has spilled into the stands and beyond. “Fire Kevin” chants have echoed through Lincoln Financial Field, and an extreme subset of fans even hurled eggs at Patullo’s home after the Bears game, prompting a law-enforcement investigation.
So when Landon Dickerson went down in the second quarter on Monday night, worsening an already banged-up offensive line, Joe Buck posed a question that suddenly didn’t sound all that far-fetched:
“Maybe the Eagles with these banged-up interior offensive linemen could call on our friend, 38-year-old Jason Kelce.”
Aikman didn’t flinch.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they haven’t already at some point this year, even last year,” he said. “I think I’d be knocking on his door every week to try to get him to come back. He can still do it.”
Buck followed by pointing out that the team had already coaxed Brandon Graham out of retirement in October after injuries gutted the defensive front.
Drafted 191st overall in 2011, Jason Kelce became the heartbeat of the franchise. With 193 games played, 12,002 offensive snaps, two Super Bowl appearances, and one Super Bowl title (Super Bowl II), Kelce was not only an outstanding center but also the glue holding the Eagles offense together.
He officially called it a day in March 2024 following Philadelphia’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.
The Eagles’ recent collapse has only fueled the speculation about Jason’s return. Their 22–19 overtime loss to the Chargers dropped them to 8–5 and extended a three-game skid. Their once-dominant rushing attack has been dulled, Saquon Barkley has struggled to find space, and the interior offensive line has been battered.
Since retiring, Kelce has kept plenty busy, becoming a fixture on ESPN and helping turn the New Heights podcast, co-hosted with brother Travis, into a cultural phenomenon. So his return looks like something the Eagles can only dream of.
