Eagles' Jason Kelce Replacement Tabbed 'Player to Root For'
Back in March 2024, Jason Kelce announced his retirement after 13 seasons as an anchor of the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line.
After waiting his turn for a couple of years, Cam Jurgens finally got his chance to replace Kelce. All he did was go out and have a Pro Bowl season, and was rewarded with a contract extension that will keep him in Philly through 2029.
Tom Blair of NFL.com labeled Jurgens as one of his "players to root for" in 2025.
"The Tush Push Era lives on, and I have to say, I have become fully push-pilled, seduced by the otherworldly proficiency with which the Eagles are able to steamroll their way to key conversions," Blair wrote. "One of the appealing elements of the play is the way in which it gives a more visible role to the O-linemen who tend to fall out of the frame otherwise -- like Jurgens, who handled the task of taking over for Jason Kelce with aplomb last season, earning his first career Pro Bowl nod.
"If Jurgens continues to establish himself alongside his more veteran linemates like Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson and Lane Johnson, he can help the Eagles keep, erm, pushing the evolution of the game."
Jurgens' four-year contract extension takes effect in 2026 and pays him $68 million with $39 million guaranteed.
At $17 million per year, he's now the second-highest-paid center in the history of the league behind Kansas City's Creed Humphrey.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Saquon Barkley among NFL stars who will join President Trump's council on Sports Nutrition
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley will join Harrison Butker, Nick Bosa, Tony Romo, and Lawrence Taylor on President Trumps Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.' Saquon Barkley is a son, a fantastic father, the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year winner, and now a member of President Donald Trump's administration. In a move that will revive a standard from the Reagan, Clinton, and Bush era, Barkley will join Harrison Butker, Nick Bosa, Tony Romo, and Lawrence Taylor on President Trump's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.' According to the Washington Post, President Trump on Thursday announced that the presidential fitness test, a hallmark of American physical education programs, will be making a comeback in public schools. The assessment was retired and replaced by a fitness program under the Obama administration. The presidential fitness test was initiated in the 1950s by a council established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower that was directed to improve the physical fitness of American youths, in response to fears they were falling behind their European counterparts when it came to athleticism. The project is an alternative way to get anti-obesity drugs to Medicare and Medicaid patients, after the administration said in April that neither program would cover GLP-1s for weight loss. In doing so, it scrapped a 2024 Biden administration proposal for the programs to start covering GLP-1s for patients with obesity. Several high-profile athletes — all of whom have existing ties to Trump — attended the ceremony and will serve on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. The attendees included professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau, who will chair the council; controversial National Football League kicker Harrison Butker; World Wrestling Entertainment mainstay Paul 'Triple H' Levesque; golfer Annika Sorenstam; and football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. The Eagles running back wasn't in attendance, but will be joined by golfers Jack Nicklaus, Nelly Korda, and Gary Player (who was also awarded the Medal of Freedom alongside Sorenstam); Tony Romo, Nick Bosa, and Barkley; legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky; and baseball player Mariano Rivera. The list also includes NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, whom Trump repeatedly scrutinized during his first presidential term. Barkley was criticized during the off-season for spending time with President Trump on a golf outing prior to the Eagles' ring celebration.


USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
49ers starting offensive lineman predicts that he'll make the Pro Bowl in 2025
While the San Francisco 49ers have a few jobs up for grabs in training camp ahead of their 2025 campaign, one player who's set in his spot is right tackle Colton McKivitz. McKivitz, 28, was San Francisco's fifth-round pick (No. 153 overall) in the 2020 NFL draft after a five-year collegiate career at West Virginia, where he earned All-Big 12 and All-American honors as a senior. After he spent most of his rookie season as a backup and most of the following year on the practice squad, McKivitz eventually took over as the team's starting right tackle in 2023 and has started all 34 games over the last two seasons. As he prepares to enter his third season in the role, McKivitz believes he'll be recognized as one of the top players at his position in the NFL in 2025. 'I'm going to be a Pro Bowler this year, I've told countless people," McKivitz shared with NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco earlier this week. "I'm just putting it out there just because that's going to hold me accountable and get me to where I want to go. If you don't fight for it, you won't get it.' The 49ers are no strangers to having one of their starting tackles make the Pro Bowl, as left tackle Trent Williams made it four straight seasons from 2020-23. However, McKivitz will really have to play great in 2025 to unseat Philadelphia's Lane Johnson, who's made the Pro Bowl each of the last three seasons and has made six in his career. Interestingly, the San Francisco Chronicle's Noah Furtado reported that McKivitiz had the "most impressive offensive/defensive lineman one-on-one rep of the day" on Friday, as he completely shut down a pass rush from Nick Bosa. Maybe that'll be something for him to build on going forward and turn the 2025 season into a Pro Bowl campaign. More 49ers: 49ers undersized rookie 'doing a hell of a job' in battle for starting spot


New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Micah Parsons next team odds: The favorites to land the star pass rusher after Cowboys trade demand
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. Things between Micah Parsons and the Cowboys aren't doing well. The superstar pass rusher requested a trade out of Dallas on Friday after contract negotiations between the two sides got ugly. Now, it's time to speculate where Parson may head next. Oddsmakers at DraftKings Sportsbook are still anticipating the four-time Pro Bowler to start the season with the Cowboys, but they have left the door open to a blockbuster breakup. Micah Parson next team odds Team Odds Cowboys -300 Eagles 10/1 Patriots 10/1 Chargers 15/1 Cardinals 16/1 49ers 16/1 Rams 18/1 Odds provided by DraftKings Parsons is still -300 to stay with America's Team come next month, which is a 75 percent implied probability that their differences get hashed out, but that leaves plenty of room for a possible trade. The Cowboys' division rival, the Eagles, are tied with the second-best odds to bring in Parsons. As unlikely as it may seem, the Eagles are always looking for more pass rushers and star power. Micah Parsons demanded a trade from the Cowboys in August 2025. Getty Images The Chargers, who could use another defensive lineman after the departure of Joey Bosa, have the third-best odds should Parsons depart Dallas. A trio of defense-starved teams in the wide-open NFC West — the Cardinals, 49ers and Rams — round out the odds board at DraftKings. Betting on the NFL? The season is quickly approaching, but if Parsons' statement on social media is any indication, there's still a massive gap to bridge between him and the team. 'Unfortunately I no longer want to be here,' wrote Parsons, who is in the final year of his rookie deal. 'I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present. I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization our fans and my teammates… I have made a tough decision I no longer want to play for the Dallas Cowboys.'