Jason Kelce, a rare social media poster, accessed his verified Instagram account on Wednesday morning to clarify his position on the Philadelphia Eagles pulling Jalen Hurts for Nate Sudfeld in Week 17.
There was speculation that Kelce was unhappy with the Eagles not doing everything they could to win, considering the center’s previous comments against the tank. In addition, ESPN’s Tim McManus reported the following on Tuesday:
Team leader Jason Kelce approached Pederson to ask about his decision to remove Hurts during the game, a source confirmed, although he was described as non-confrontational.
Here is Kelce’s explanation:
“I thought about clearing the air just to clarify and describe more precisely what happened during the game on Sunday. At the end of the third quarter I was informed at the bank that Sudfeld was entering the game. I went over to Doug and asked him if he was taking Hurts, he said “Yes, I think Nate won the right to play”, I said “will everyone be home?”, He said “for sure”. I will then look for Suddy. He started taking pictures on the side with him, called the other [linemen] he finished and made them listen to his instant count to make sure everyone was in step with his cadence, and then left for the next walk.
At no time was anything from me or anyone else confronting. We all knew at the start of the game that Sudfeld should be ready to play and that Doug wanted to see what he could in a game situation. All of us, during the previous week, were excited by Nate, a guy who has been with us for 4 years to have an opportunity in a real game to show the world what he can do. We all have full confidence in Nate as a player, there is a reason why he has been here for so long and a reason why the team has brought him back. That’s because we feel that Nate is a guy we can win with.
I understand how he looks and I would be lying if I weren’t a little surprised, given the circumstances in which the change happened when it happened, but each of us did our best and we all believe we can win with Nate Sudfeld. It was a difficult situation to put in place, especially when you have a 10-year-old veteran pivot who doesn’t snap the ball for you accurately on your second shot of the game. I know we can win games with Nate, because I know Suddy can play, it didn’t work on Sunday, but as always, it’s not just him. “
Kelce has publicly defended the Eagles’ decisions in the past. He was quick to support the team after they made a very unpopular move to release DeSean Jackson in 2014, for example. In that sense, it is not surprising to see his most recent feeling.
Kelce is the second team captain to claim that the team knew Sudfeld could have some playing time. Brandon Graham expressed this earlier.
But it doesn’t seem like everyone was on the same page, considering the Inquirer’s report on how “many Eagles players and coaches were shocked and outraged” at Hurts’ replacement. Miles Sanders publicly stated that “nobody liked the decision”.
Regardless, what is done is done. Ultimately, the Eagles did the right thing (at least once) to ensure that they would be in sixth overall instead of ninth in the NFL’s 2021 Draft.