After spending several weeks mulling his future, Eagles center Jason Kelce will return for the 2022 season.
Kelce, a four-time first-team All-Pro selection and five-time Pro Bowler, announced the news Thursday evening in a video released by the team.
“I’m definitely not retiring from playing for the Philadelphia Eagles,” Kelce said in the video. “I’m having way too much fun doing that. I’m looking forward to another year, Philadelphia. And to all my teammates, let’s go dominate.”
Kelce, a sixth-round pick in the 2011 draft, will enter his 12th season at age 34.
After the Eagles (9-8) exited the playoffs in the wild-card round, many around the team wondered whether Kelce would be back next season. Kelce hasn’t missed a start in 121 straight games, a streak that leads all NFL interior lineman, and he has proven he’s still capable of playing at a top-tier level.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni even got creative and recently gifted Kelce two kegs of beer in an attempt to sway his decision.
“He’s awesome and I’ve told him how much we want him back,” Sirianni said in January. “He’s an unbelievable leader. Everything you hear about — if you don’t know Jason Kelce personally, everything you hear about him is as advertised. He’s awesome, he’s a great leader, he’s a great player.
“He’s the backbone of this team. He’s so smart as a football player — he makes us go as a team.”
With Kelce announcing his return, a new contract between him and the Eagles seems imminent. Earlier this week, The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane detailed Kelce’s contract situation.
Last year, Kelce essentially signed a one-year deal worth up to $12 million, but the contract runs through 2023 and was structured to aid the team with its salary cap. That $12 million figure falls short of Frank Ragnow’s league-leading average per-year salary of $13.5 million. Last offseason, Ragnow reset the salary ceiling for centers when he signed a four-year, $54 million extension with Detroit.
Kelce’s career earnings have reached more than $55 million, but one could argue he deserves to be the highest-paid center in the league considering his stellar and consistent play. Despite multiple injuries sustained by the offensive line this past season, Kelce played in every game and helped lead the league’s most potent rushing attack. The Eagles averaged 159.7 rushing yards per game and finished with 25 rushing touchdowns.
Over his 11 years in Philadelphia, Kelce has blossomed into a franchise staple and is regarded by nearly everybody working inside the NovaCare Complex as the team’s emotional leader. He also was nominated by the Eagles for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
Kelce’s return helps solidify the offensive line rotation, which features Jordan Mailata at left tackle, Landon Dickerson at left guard, and Lane Johnson at right tackle. The only lingering question is the vacancy at right guard with Brandon Brooks recently announcing his retirement. Isaac Seumalo, Nate Herbig, and Jack Driscoll are likely options at right guard, and the team can also add more depth in free agency and the upcoming NFL draft. The Eagles have 10 picks, including three first-round selections.
“Whenever I have a question about the offense, I go to Jason Kelce,” wide receiver DeVonta Smith said during the season. “He knows literally every little detail for every position group. Where we’re supposed to be, timing, routes, blocking — Kelce is what makes this team go.”
