Jalen Hurts has revealed the true impact on the Philadelphia Eagles following Jason Kelce’s retirement after the veteran’s safety blanket left the quarterback learning some harsh realities

Jason Kelce’s retirement from the NFL following the 2023 seasonwas a sobering experience for Philadelphia Eagles franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Kelce, 37, spent 13 years in the NFL with the Eagles, winning one Super Bowl and reaching another. Alongside Hurts, he took on his younger brother, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs. The center had a close relationship with Hurts during their four seasons together at the Eagles, proving to be an effective member of the Philadelphia offense, getting the ball to Hurts and blocking.

Kelce earned seven Pro Bowl selections and six First-Team All-Pros for his efforts. However, his retirement following last season’s NFL Wild Card defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a rude awakening for Hurts and the Eagles locker room.

Kelce’s veteran presence often shielded Hurts, the quarterback has admitted. Any worries that Kelce shouldered and dealt with were shifted onto Hurts. “I think, in the end, when you look at this upcoming season and what you have seen in past years, it’s just a different autonomy in different places,” Hurts admitted to 94.1 WIP last year.

“We had a great player in Jason Kelce who took on a lot of responsibility and, as a result of that, I was told not to worry about a lot of things. And so my eagerness to learn over the years kind of was halted because of who we had, but now times are different, and I’m excited for that journey and this opportunity.”

At the start of 2024, the Eagles appeared to suffer early teething problems. They were 2-2 after four games, and pressure seemed to mount on head coach Nick Sirianni. However, Philadelphia lost just one of their remaining 13 games, winning the NFC East over the 12-5 Washington Commanders.

Hurts threw for 2,903 yards and 18 touchdowns while scoring 14 rushing touchdowns. The offseason acquisition of Saquon Barkley also took the Eagles to new heights, with the running back rushing for over 2,000 yards and 15 total touchdowns.

Hurts acknowledged that Kelce stopped his learning process because he didn’t have to worry as much with the veteran around (Image:Getty)

The Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers this weekend in the first round of the NFL playoffs. Hurts is touch-and-go for this weekend’s game after suffering a concussion in the first quarter against the Commanders on Dec. 22.

“We’ve got so much faith in him and the things he can do,” Sirianni said Monday on 94.1 WIP. “This is why you practice the way we practice. Practice is high intensity. We feel like we have a great practice plan and our guys go about their business in practice very game-like.

“That’s where you work out your kinks or anything that you have, just being locked in and focused all week. We’ve got a lot of faith in Jalen as he gets ready to play the football game.”