NFC Notes: Jason Kelce, Eagles, Lions

Jason Kelce

Eagles veteran C Jason Kelce says he’s still going through the process of determining whether he’ll return for the 2022 season or call it a career and retire. 

“Everybody wants to know, including me,” Kelce told John Clark of NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com. “I’m still trying to figure that out. I just think it comes down to, I definitely want to play. It just comes down to whether or not I think I can dedicate myself to doing it the right way and the way it needs to be done. If I can do that, I’ll play. If I can’t, that will be it.

“But I’m going to step away for a couple weeks and really try to evaluate. Just get away from the emotion of everything and see if I can do that again.”

Kelce did say that he’s in good health. 

“Yeah, I would say great spot,” Kelce said of his health. “We finished off the season really well outside of the playoff game. Right after the playoff game, if I’m being really honest, I thought, ‘Is that really going to be my last game? And do I really want that to be my last game?’ But that’s what I mean by stepping away from the emotion. Because the reality is unless you win the Super Bowl, you don’t end on a happy note.

“We’ll see. I don’t know where I’m at to be honest with you. I’m all over the place in my head but I do love playing, I love me teammates, I love the city. If I’m going to stop doing that, it better be worth it.”

Eagles

Eagles CB Darius Slay said that it is “a blessing” to have Jonathan Gannon back as defensive coordinator next season, despite rooting for him to land a head coaching job elsewhere. 

“I always want the best for him,” Slay told Mike Kaye of NJ.com. “I wish he would become a head coach, because that’s always [been] the dream too, for him. But with him being able to come back as our DC, it’s a blessing. We get another year under his coaching scheme and I’ve got a way better understanding of it. I can’t wait to see how exciting it would be for us this year.”“He came in with great veteran leadership that I needed help with because last year at the cornerback position, we were so young and thin because of the COVID and being sick and all of that stuff,” Slay said. “Bringing Steve in, he had been a pro for seven years, great experience, been a starter long enough, and he has that high-end [talent] to compete, so it was a great addition.”

Lions

Lions DT Michael Brockers said during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show that it was a “blessing” to be traded to the Lions, even though his former team is playing in the Super Bowl.

“It was an all-around — it was a blessing,” Brockers said, via LionsWire.com. “People keep asking me, ‘man how do you feel’”, Brockers responded. “I’m happy for my guys (old Rams teammates). I’m happy. I’m in a great place. The city of Detroit is awesome. The fans are awesome and I really want to get things turned around for them.”