The Monday Night Football broadcast booth made an interesting suggestion during the Philadelphia Eagles’ eventual overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
ESPN’s play-by-play man Joe Buck and his analyst, Cowboys‘ Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, both discussed the idea of center Jason Kelce returning to the field to help stabilize the interior of Philadelphia’s offensive line.
Although highly unlikely, since Kelce has shifted to an analyst role on ESPN, the suggestion addresses the injuries that have been hindering the team’s performance up front.
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman Make Kelce Return Suggestion
Jason Kelce is beloved in the Eagles’ community, earning multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections, and is considered one of the top centers in NFL history. His stellar play helped anchor the Eagles’ offensive line, which helped Philadelphia win Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots in 2027.
Off the field, his memorable Super Bowl parade speech, community involvement, and his leadership on and off the field are things that every Eagles fan (and many NFL fans) are fond of. In addition to appearing on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown, he co-hosts the popular podcast “New Heights” with his brother and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
However, the Monday Night Football broadcast booth suggested that Kelce return to the Eagles to help bolster their offensive line, starting with Joe Buck, who floated the idea on television.
“Maybe the Eagles, with these banged-up interior offensive linemen, can call on our friend, ol’ 38-year-old Jason Kelce,” the ESPN Monday Night Football announcer suggested over the air.
His broadcast partner, former Cowboys legend Troy Aikman, took it a step further, replying, “I would be surprised if they haven’t already… I think I’d be knocking on his door every week to try to get him to come back. He can still do it.”
Eagles Dealing With Several Offensive Line Injuries
The Eagles have been dealing with injuries to their offensive line all season. In mid-November, Eagles writer Anthony DiBona wrote on his official X account, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen and Lane Johnson have played every offensive snap in just ONE game this season.
Shortly after, right tackle Lane Johnson, who is a five-time All-Pro and among the best at his position, was reported as out with a Lisfranc injury, causing him to be placed on injured reserve for four to six weeks. He has not played since, causing the interior of the offensive line to suffer.
Fred Johnson has stepped up in his place and has been servicable, but the depth has been hit. This has prevented Philadelphia from having its usual quality six-man rotation with Matt Pryor as Fred’s replacement off the bench, according to Eagles’ reporter Eliot Shorr-Parks.
In addition to Lane Johnson, center Cam Jurgens has dealt with injuries, as he returned to the lineup against the Lions but left in the second half due to suffering a concussion against Detroit. Left guard Landon Dickerson has also not been consistently healthy all season.
Even the consistently healthy Eagles have struggled, with left tackle Jordan Mailata having a rough season and right guard Tyler Steen not being nearly as strong as Mekhi Becton in creating holes for the running backs.
With tackle play not being great on the outside and injuries causing the interior of the offensive line to suffer, productivity for Saquon Barkley and Philadelphia’s rushing attack has suffered, with the Eagles down about 70 yards per game this season from where they were in 2024.
Overall, the offensive line play was pretty solid last game, leaving Hurts clean pockets despite his turnovers, but the suggestion of Kelce returning after his retirement showed the state of affairs for Philadelphia’s offense this season.
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