“I’m not trying to be somebody’s replacement or somebody’s next person. I’m just trying to be myself.”
That was Cam Jurgens’ response when asked about replacing Jason Kelce.
Throughout the 2024 off-season, it’s been a common refrain to hear members of the media (national and local) call Cam Jurgens the X-Factor of the Eagles 2024 season, and for good reason.
He has some enormous cleats to fill.
After 13 years, Jason Kelce decided to call it a career in March.
Kelce is undoubtedly one of the most popular figures not only in Philadelphia Eagles history, but pro football history.
And as training camp gets underway this week, after two years of waiting in the wings, it’s finally time for Jurgens to assume the role he was drafted to fill.
Jurgens was selected with the 51st pick in the 2nd round of the 2022 NFL draft. Kelce even hand-picked Jurgens as his future replacement.
At 6-foot-3, 303 pounds, it’s easy to understand the comparisons to the 6-foot-3, 282 pound Kelce.
And when you turn on the film and watch the two centers play football, the reasons for comparisons become even more clear.
Both players are on the slender side. Both players are extremely agile and technically savy.
But replacing a player who 1) never missed a game in his career – Kelce played 156 consecutive games during his career – and 2) is as synonymous with Philadelphia Eagles football as grass is with the color green, is much more complex than just having similar measurbles.
Sure, he’s shown signs of being as athletic and savy as Kelce, but he doesn’t have the same rolodex when it comes to experience. But one thing he does have, is the same position coach who Kelce credited being “more influential (and) meaningful” than anyone: Jeff Stoutland.
“Cam Jurgens was brought here two years ago for the reason of when Kelce does retire that we have a guy that we really identified as being a top-level center, in our opinion,” Stoutland said this spring.
Having Stoutland as his teacher both for the past two years, and this year, as he makes the transition to center is invaluable for Jurgens.
For what he lacks in terms of what Kelce had (from an experience and IQ standpoint), Stoutland can and will help bridge that gap.
And Jurgens isn’t going into it blindly. He started 11 games at right guard last season right next to Kelce. In fact, his locker was right next to Kelce’s.
“Being able to play guard this last year and being able to be on the field, that’s going to help me more than anything,” Jurgens said.
“Just getting the actual reps, being on the field, being next to guys so then like if I do step into that spot and whoever are the guards next to me, I can help them because I was in that spot.”
Jurgens was drafted for this very moment. From the moment he donned the midnight green of the Philadelphia Eagles, it was expected that he’d one day replace Kelce.
That day has arrived. And as the kickoff of the 2024 Eagles’ season approaches, Jurgens is ready.
“I’m not worried about anything else but what I can control and I think that’s all I got to worry about at the end of the day,” Jurgens said.
“I think when you start putting it into those perspectives and terms and people like to compare, you just put different things on your shoulders that you need to carry.”
“And, really, what can I do today? What can I do to learn? What can I do to get better and how can I be the best football player I can be? And not how can I be what he was? What are we going to do tomorrow? That’s how I gotta look at it.”
Cover Image Credit: Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
The Philly Blitz 
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