March 13, 2024
Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports
Jason Kelce is amped about the Eagles' Saquon Barkley signing.
Jason Kelce is well into retirement now and his decision on that is final, but he saw the news of the Eagles signing Saquon Barkley, and man...
"I could not be more bullish," the now former Eagles All-Pro center said of the team's outlook on the latest New Heights podcast. "We talked about last week, this is what I'm regretting: I knew when I retired that I was going to miss just an outstanding season for the Philadelphia Eagles, and it sucks. It does. I want to be a part of this so bad. I wish I could.
"But it doesn't suck in the way that I get to still go 'Hey, I'm a Philadelphia!' I get to watch it and celebrate it just like everybody else, so I'm excited for that, because it's gonna be damn good."
So yeah, mark the Barkley signing as Jason Kelce approved. Travis, too.
"We've seen firsthand his whole career how good he is from playing the New York Giants, and even playing at Penn State," Jason said. "This guy has unbelievable everywhere's he's been. Huge, huge signing for Philadelphia."
"Social media has been non-stop saying 'Jason, are you sure you want to retire?' And I'm like 'Yeah, I'm pretty positive,'" he continued. "Even though I'm a little bit upset that [GM Howie Roseman] waited until I RETIRED to make a move like this, but you know, it's fine. It'll work out great.
"I think when you add a weapon like this, it's only gonna expand the way you can attack a defense."
"You can do so much, man," Travis, the Chiefs star tight end, added.
Especially with the talent the Eagles boast at every skill position between Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert, plus a still very much established offensive line, even after Kelce's departure.
"We can put running backs in good situations and put them in these 1-on-1 spots," Kelce said. "D'Andre Swift did a great job with that last year, so did Miles Sanders, and I think Saquon is gonna go do a pretty good job of that this year.
"He's gonna make that last guy either miss or make a tackle that's gonna extend [the play] another few yards. That's what you want out of these running backs, a guy who can extend a play and make it explosive or do something special when they get the opportunity. This is one of those difference makers at the running back position that's increasingly hard to find, I feel like, in the NFL."
And he's an Eagle now.
"Howie season, baby!" Kelce quipped.
Kelce is about a week into retirement and said on the podcast that things haven't really changed much for him so far, adding that he's even still going down to the NovaCare Complex for workouts.
"I'm just a creature of habit, I don't know," he said, going on to predict, however, that he's sure the feeling is going to be different once OTAs and training camp come around and he no longer has to report.
As for his and Travis' other thoughts on the other recent Eagles news – Fletcher Cox's retirement, Landon Dickerson's extension, and Bryce Huff's signing at edge rusher – you can check out the full, newly award-winning, New Heights podcast below...
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