WATCH: Eagles new center Cam Jurgens on the tedious task of replacing Jason Kelce and creating his own legacy in 2024 and beyond

You want to talk about some tough shoes to fill? Imagine being the very next player that has to come in be the Philadelphia Eagles replacement for Jason Kelce.

The wild thing is, even if the replacement comes in and makes multiple Pro Bowls and even turns into one of the best centers in the league, he may still not directly compare to the all-time great in Kelce.

However, it seems hard for their to be a better player and person better equipped to be in this position than Cam Jurgens. I mean after all, he was hand picked the Eagles center himself.

Cam Jurgens on creating his own Philadelphia Eagles legacy

Creating his own legacy@lincolnfingroup | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/QwyhdBM2Ai

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) July 28, 2024

Assuming he stays healthy, Jurgens will become the Eagles’ first opening-day center other than Kelce since Jamaal Jackson in 2010. He’ll also be the first player to start at center for the Eagles in any game since David Molk, who took over in Weeks 4 to 7 of the 2014 season while Kelce was sidelined with a sports hernia.

Over his 13-year NFL career, Kelce became a local legend. Only two centers in NFL history have been named first-team all-pro more times than Kelce—one from the 1940s and one from the 1960s. Kelce also joined Chuck Bednarik and Reggie White as the only Eagles to earn six first-team all-pro selections.

With that said, let’s move to the 24-year-old hand picked center from Nebraska, Cam Jurgens.

“It’s the NFL, nothing’s east, but I feel a lot more comfortable being there (at center).”

Jurgens emphasized that the role wasn’t about replacing a single person, hinting at Jason Kelce’s position before his retirement. The third-year player confidently addressed the questions about taking over for Kelce, stating that he wasn’t trying to fill anyone’s shoes but instead wanted to create his own legacy at a position he has long played.

Jurgens’ tone, when discussing stepping into Kelce’s role, bordered on annoyance, which was likely understandable. While external comparisons to Kelce are inevitable starting from Week 1, Jurgens seems focused on playing his own game rather than replicating someone else’s. He was drafted for a reason and has patiently waited for his moment in the spotlight.

While I don’t expect the Kelce-Jurgens comparisons to go away anytime soon, I believe it is in the fanbases best interest to welcome the third-year player with open arms and support him as the Eagles look to make another run at the Super Bowl.

Join The Chase