Entering the 2024 campaign, there were significant questions about whether the Philadelphia Eagles could pull off a seamless transition from Jason Kelce to Cam Jurgens at center. After 16 games, the verdict is in: Conversion accomplished.
While there have been a few hiccups, it's been a pretty smooth move from a perennial All-Pro center in Kelce to Jurgens, who could be in line to make his first Pro Bowl.
"I think he's done a really nice job," coach Nick Sirianni said Monday when asked about Jurgens. "It's never easy to replace a legend, which we all know how special of a player and leader Jason Kelce was. So he's had to step in and fill those shoes, and I think he's done a really nice job."
Given the vital role Kelce played as the pivot in Philly -- as a puller, the dive-man on the Tush Push, and a vocal leader on and off the field -- it wasn't a given that things would run as smoothly without the six-time All-Pro. The Tush Push might not be as clean, but you'd be hard-pressed to find fault with the job Jurgens has done shifting to the middle of the line.
"Obviously, you look at everything first. You look at having 13 wins. Cam is the center of a 13-win football team," Sirianni said. "He's got to play good for that to happen. He's played good for us to be able to do that. You've got a 2,000-yard rusher, which is special. The center's got to play good for that to happen as well."
Jurgens started 11 regular-season games at right guard in 2023 before making the transition to center. Planning for a future without Kelce was an excellent team-building move by general manager Howie Roseman. It helped that Kelce famously assisted in picking Jurgens as his eventual replacement.
"I think all the writing is on the wall of how good of football he's played and all the good things he's done based off what this team has done," Sirianni said. "And never easy to do what he had to do there, but he's really played good football through these 16 games."
