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Philadelphia Eagles News & Rumors

Eagles C Jason Kelce To Consider Retirement

February 12th, 2023 at 9:35am CST by Rory Parks

Eagles center Jason Kelce has mulled retirement in each of the last several offseasons. As such, it will not come as much of a surprise to learn that the 35-year-old will again consider hanging up the cleats in the coming weeks, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Of course, Kelce will assume his familiar role as Philadelphia’s starting center in Super Bowl LVII today. Kelce — whose brother, Travis Kelce, will suit up for the opposing Chiefs — will be seeking his second championship ring, though he does not believe the outcome of the game will influence his decision.

“From everything I’ve been told about when you know it’s time to retire or not, you just know when you know, and it’s going to be when you don’t want to play football anymore,” he said. “And I don’t think that winning this game is going to determine whether I want to continue playing football or not.”

Indeed, after today’s contest, Jason Kelce will have at least one championship on his resume, and he has enjoyed a long and remarkably durable career in which he has established himself as one of the best pivots of his generation. And despite his age and the fact that he has been contemplating retirement for some time, there is no question that the Eagles would want him back.

Kelce, who added his sixth Pro Bowl nod and fifth First Team All-Pro bid to his career accomplishments in 2022, continues to play at a high level. Pro Football Focus did not charge him with a single sack and assigned him a stellar 88.9 overall grade for his efforts this season, the second-best mark among all qualified centers and just one point behind his Super Bowl LVII counterpart, Creed Humphrey. He was also the anchor of a line that helped the Eagles to a tremendous season in which they finished third in the league in both total offense and points per game.

Obviously, Philadelphia wants to have some clarity on Kelce’s plans before the start of the league year on March 15, and Schefter says Kelce does plan to make a decision by then. He joins DT Fletcher Cox, DE Brandon Graham, and RT Lane Johnson as Eagles stalwarts facing uncertain futures with the team, though we recently heard that if any or all of those players want to return in 2023, the club will find a way to make it happen.

If Kelce chooses to walk away, 2022 second-rounder Cam Jurgens is in line to take his place.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/11/23

February 11th, 2023 at 4:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves, including the final gameday elevations of the season:

Kansas City Chiefs

Philadelphia Eagles

The activation of Siposs comes as little surprise, since the Eagles designated him for return last week. The 30-year-old has been out since Week 14 due to an ankle injury. His return to the lineup means veteran Brett Kern (who had filled in during Siposs’ absence) will not be in uniform for tomorrow’s Super Bowl.

DeVonta Smith Expected To Be Giants Draftee In 2021

February 9th, 2023 at 9:39am CST by Sam Robinson

Pre-draft rumors played a significant role in three NFC East franchises’ decisions during the 2021 first round. The Cowboys ended up helping the Eagles move up for DeVonta Smith, sliding back from No. 10 to No. 12 (where Micah Parsons awaited).

The Giants’ interest in the Alabama wide receiver was going to lead to a draft choice. A post-draft report indicated as such, with the Eagles move to outflank their rivals throwing the Giants’ draft off axis for a bit. Coming off a dominant senior season that produced a Heisman Trophy, Smith expected to be a Giant.

“I knew it was going to be New York,” Smith said, via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. “If Philly didn’t trade up, I was going to be in New York. It was kind of a no-brainer. People on the coaching staff were on the coaching staff at Alabama when I was there or getting recruited, so that’s how I knew it.”

Joe Judge had spent time on Nick Saban‘s staff, though that came well before Smith’s Tuscaloosa arrival, though Dunleavy notes then-Giants staffers Burton Burns, Rob Sale, Jeremy Pruitt and others had worked for Alabama previously. Although the Giants had doled out an $18MM-per-year contract to Kenny Golladay in March 2021, they were prepared to add Smith.

The Eagles moving up led their rivals to trade down — via the Bears’ climb up to take Justin Fields at No. 11 — and select less proven prospect Kadarius Toney. The Florida wideout came with some red flags, and the current Giants staff’s concerns led to a quick give-up maneuver. The Giants collected a conditional third and a sixth-rounder for Toney, whose latest injury leaves him tentatively on track to face Smith’s Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. Injuries and off-field concerns prompted the pre-deadline swap. Golladay will soon be a cap casualty, having been demoted early in Brian Daboll‘s tenure, while Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard are on track for free agency. Less than two years after the Smith near-miss, the Giants are close to square one at wide receiver. They are planning to pursue free agents at the position this year and will likely be in the market for another college prospect.

Smith took a step forward in his second season, catching 95 passes for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns. Despite his slender frame, Smith has not missed a game yet as a pro. The Eagles have the second-year playmaker under contract through 2024, and it represents a good bet the deal will extend through 2025 via the fifth-year option. Smith’s rookie contract pairs with A.J. Brown‘s $25MM-per-year extension. These moves transformed an Eagles position group previously weakened by veteran injuries and draft misses on Jalen Reagor and JJ Arcega-Whiteside.

Latest On Ravens’ OC Search

February 6th, 2023 at 5:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

Baltimore is one of several NFL teams slowly working their way through the process of finding a new offensive coordinator. New updates have emerged with respect to who they are targeting to replace Greg Roman.

In a detailed piece breaking down where things currently stand, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec writes (subscription required) that three candidates for the position have interviewed twice with head coach John Harbaugh. Two of those (Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Vikings pass game coordinator Brian Angelichio) have been well known in the search so far, but another name has been added to the mix.

Bobby Engram has met twice to discuss the Ravens’ OC vacancy, per Zrebiec. The 50-year-old is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wisconsin, but he spent considerable time in Baltimore prior to that. Engram was the Ravens’ wide receivers coach from 2014-18, and then worked with the team’s tight ends for three seasons after that. He also has experience with the Steelers and 49ers, but has not been an OC at the NFL level.

Other finalists will also include Seahawks quarterbacks coach Dave Canales and Broncos offensive coordinator Justin Outten. Those two are set to interview for the second time this week, which will bring the list of second interviewees to five. As Zrebiec notes, however, Harbaugh could conduct second interviews with other candidates not mentioned here, or he could ever hire a name that has yet to interview for the gig. A number of Chiefs and Eagles assistants could be of interest to the Ravens (Zrebiec specifically calls out Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, senior offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach Matt Nagy and wide receivers coach Joe Bleymaier; and Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson and pass game coordinator Kevin Patullo).

The Ravens wouldn’t be able to talk to any of those coaches until after the Super Bowl. That means the organization could decide to wait at least another week to make a hire, although they may end up moving quickly on one of the existing candidates if they determine he could sign elsewhere.

Injured Reserve Return Tracker

February 6th, 2023 at 9:30am CST by Sam Robinson

After two years of giving teams free rein on injured reserve transactions, the NFL reinstated limitations this offseason. Teams can now activate up to eight players from injured reserve. That has reintroduced some strategy into how franchises are proceeding with their activations.

Players who were carried over to 53-man rosters after cutdown day must reside on their respective injured list for at least four weeks. Once a team designates a player for return, meaning the player returns to practice, the activation clock starts. Teams have 21 days from those return-to-practice points to activate that player. If no activation commences in that window, the player reverts to season-ending IR.

Here is how the Chiefs and Eagles’ IR situations stack up for Super Bowl LVII:

Kansas City Chiefs

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Philadelphia Eagles

Eligible for activation:

Reverted to season-ending IR: 

Activated:

Activations remaining: 0

Poll: Who Will Win Super Bowl LVII?

February 5th, 2023 at 10:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Just one week remains until a new champion is crowned in the NFL. Super Bowl LVII will see each conference’s top seed square off against one another for the first time since 2017, and the 13th overall since seeding began in 1975.

That most recent occasion saw the Eagles win their only Super Bowl to date. A far different coaching staff and roster has led the team back to the title game, culminating a regular season which saw them establish themselves as arguably the most balanced team in the league on both sides of the ball. Numerous moves made in the offseason – including the acquisition of wideout A.J. Brown – helped the Eagles take a considerable step forward on offense, with third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts putting himself in the MVP conversation.

With the former second-rounder back at full strength, Philadelphia has had little issue in the postseason to date, securing comfortable victories over the Giants and 49ers. The latter was hamstrung by not having a healthy quarterback for much of the conference championship game, but that contest still highlighted the Eagles’ depth and their penchant for blowout wins. They enter the Super Bowl as slight favorites.

The Chiefs, however, have plenty of recent experience on the big stage. Kansas City has hosted each of the past five AFC championship games, including their win this past Sunday against the Bengals. That contest was won by the narrowest of margins, a stark contrast to the Eagles’ path through the NFC. Nevertheless, the Chiefs are now set to compete in their third Super Bowl in the past four years, as the legacy of their current era with head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes continues to grow.

Kansas City comfortably won what was expected to be a hyper-competitive AFC West during the regular season, continuing their dominance of that division. The Chiefs were able to secure the No. 1 seed in large part due to their elite offensive production, something which many raised questions about following the departure of Tyreek Hill. Despite not having the All-Pro receiver available, Kansas City led the league in passing yards in 2022, making Mahomes the favorite to win a second MVP award. The team’s offense has plenty of potential even with the latter dealing with an ankle sprain.

A number of storylines have been discussed in the build-up to the big game, including Reid facing his former team and a pair of brothers (Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Eagles center Jason Kelce) squaring off against one another. These two teams had the highest-scoring offenses in the league this season – and have even put up identical point totals to date, mirroring their shared 16-3 records – so their matchup has plenty of potential with respect to points being scored.

As the countdown to Super Bowl LVII continues, who do you see winning it all? Vote in the poll below and have your say in the comments section:

Eagles Rumors: Dickerson, Berry, Free Agents

February 5th, 2023 at 8:13pm CST by Ely Allen

In a pileup during the Eagles’ NFC Championship win over the 49ers, guard Landon Dickerson suffered a hyperextension of his right elbow in the fourth quarter and was forced to leave the game. After an MRI of the injury came back negative for any serious damage, it is expected that Dickerson will be able play in the Super Bowl next Sunday, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Dickerson will likely need to wear a brace on the injured elbow through practices and probably in the big game, as well. The Eagles subbed in former first-round pick Andre Dillard when Dickerson was forced to exit last week. Dillard will presumably be prepared once again, in the event that Dickerson aggravates the injury any time before the final whistle of the season.

Here are a few more rumors concerning the NFC’s Super Bowl representatives:

  • Philadelphia is expecting to make an addition to their front office after the season, according to The Athletic’s Zach Berman. Following the 2023 NFL Draft, Adam Berry is expected to be joining the team, working with the personnel and operations departments. Berry, the twin brother of Browns general manager and executive vice president of football operations Andrew Berry, is a managing director at Goldman Sachs who will be making the leap to the NFL. His brother, Andrew, has been with the Browns for six of the past seven years with a one-year stint in Philadelphia as the vice president of football operations. Berry will join his brother’s former franchise and “will be learning all facets of…football operations.”
  • Win or lose, after this weekend the Eagles will have to turn towards next season, where there’s a chance the team will look vastly different than it currently does. Starters such as defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, defensive end Brandon Graham, and center Jason Kelce all are currently destined for free agency in the offseason, and veteran right tackle Lane Johnson could be mulling the decision to hang up his cleats. McLane seemed to imply in his recent report that the likeliest scenario in which these four aren’t Eagles next season would be if they all retire. He seems to believe that, if they all desire to return to Philadelphia, the team will make it happen.

Coaching Notes: Klemm, Solari, Stoutland, Locust, Landow

February 5th, 2023 at 7:01pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Patriots offensive lineman and current associate head coach/run game coordinator/offensive line coach at the University of Oregon Adrian Klemm has been in consideration for an assistant coaching role with his former team this offseason, reportedly heading to Las Vegas to interview with the staff during their time at the Pro Bowl. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning claimed that he doesn’t anticipate any staff changes, though, indicating that Klemm will be remaining with the Ducks, according to James Crepea of Fox Sports Eugene.

This wasn’t the only coaching position Klemm has been considered for in New England. The 45-year-old assistant coach was also a candidate for the offensive coordinator position that was eventually awarded to Bill O’Brien. Keeping Klemm in Eugene is a big win for Lanning, as Klemm clearly has a lot of potential as a coach in the NFL.

Here are a few other coaching notes that may get swept aside as bigger names and jobs continue to make headlines:

  • Longtime offensive line coach Mike Solari will return to a coaching position in Dallas for the first time in 35 years. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Solari will be replacing Joe Philbin as the team’s new offensive line coach. Solari was an assistant offensive line coach and special teams coach for the Cowboys under Tom Landry in the 1987 and 1988 seasons and worked under Mike McCarthy in Green Bay for a year in 2015. He was not coaching in the NFL last year after a four-year stint in Seattle.
  • One of the key pieces to the Super Bowl-bound Eagles‘ staff will be sticking around for a bit longer, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Philadelphia’s run game coordinator/offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland was an attractive candidate for multiple offensive coordinator jobs this offseason but has reportedly agreed to a contract extension that will keep him in the City of Brotherly Love. The Eagles boasted a top-five rushing attack this year that led the league with 32 rushing touchdowns behind an elite offensive line coached by Stoutland. He has been a huge part of what has helped the Eagles lead the NFC in points and yards this season and will be sticking around to attempt to continue that success.
  • The Titans have landed an exciting new defensive assistant, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, signing a deal with former Buccaneers assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust. She reportedly impressed both head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Ran Carthon in the interview process and will continue to work her way up the NFL coaching ladder.
  • The Broncos are reportedly parting ways with strength and conditioning coach Loren Landow, as reported by Mike Klis of 9NEWS. The 27-year veteran is seeking other opportunities as new head coach Sean Payton is expected to bring in his own strength and conditioning coach. In a year that saw Denver suffer an unusually large number of injuries, Landow surprisingly avoided much of the blame, which seemed to fall on the shoulders of former head coach Nathaniel Hackett and his unusual practice schedules. Landow has his own practice, Landow Performance, that has seen a remarkable level of success, but he will likely be considered for open strength and conditioning positions for the league in the future.

Eagles Designate P Arryn Siposs For Return

February 2nd, 2023 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s change to its injured reserve policy has lined up perfectly with the Eagles’ health situation this year. The NFC champions have one injury activation remaining, and while they rolled out all 22 starters in the conference championship game, one regular remained out of action.

Philadelphia’s primary punter, Arryn Siposs, has been out since Week 14. But the Eagles will see if he is ready to return for Super Bowl LVII. Philly designated Siposs for return from IR on Thursday, putting him in position to kick in the Super Bowl.

Upon returning to Eagles workouts, Siposs said he is “good to go” and, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane (on Twitter), no longer has any issues related to the ankle malady that sent him off the team’s 53-man roster. Siposs suffered the injury when the Giants blocked a punt during the teams’ first matchup Dec. 11.

The Eagles signed veteran Brett Kern to replace Siposs in December and have used him as their punter since. Kern has been in the NFL since 2008. The Eagles not activating Siposs would mean the former Titans and Broncos punter — a three-time Pro Bowler — would play in his first Super Bowl.

A 30-year-old specialist from Australia, Siposs is only in his second NFL season. He was averaging 45.6 yards per punt before going down this year. Kern, 36, was at just 40.8 during the regular season. On seven playoff punts, Kern’s average has climbed to 44.1. In just 13 games, Siposs had placed 16 punts inside the 20-yard line — just one shy of his 17-game total in 2021.

The Eagles have done well to navigate the eight-activation allotment this season, moving the likes of Jordan Davis, Dallas Goedert, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Avonte Maddox and Robert Quinn to IR and then activating them. The Eagles held off on placing Maddox back on IR after his December toe injury and kept Jalen Hurts and Lane Johnson on the active roster amid their injury issues. Should Siposs be activated for the franchise’s fourth Super Bowl outing, the team will have its 22 starters and each of its specialists available.

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