Jason Kelce gets choked up discussing Eagles, Jalen Hurts ‘frustrations’ reports

Since retiring from the NFL, Jason Kelce has cultivated an image as a fun-loving and gregarious media figure.

But the former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro center is still human.

While discussing reported “internal frustrations” involving Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, Kelce shared a story during his weekly appearance on the 94WIP Morning Show about not speaking to one of his teammates and best friends for an entire offseason and the impact that had on him.

“I think the quotes on Jalen, I think that there are frustrations within a team that build up continually. I think Jalen gets a lot of the highlighting of that, again, because he’s the quarterback,” said Kelce.

“I’ll put this out there. Me and Lane Johnson one year, at the end of Chip Kelly’s career, Lane made a comment in the media, said something along the lines of, we’re the up-tempo is way too hard on us in practice, and we’re working too difficult, and guys are getting fatigued. I remember reading that, and I’m like, Dude. I went out and said something in the media and said, What does Lane know? Lane has only been with the Philadelphia Eagles. How does he know what it feels like to do other practices? He’s only practiced with Chip Kelly. So he’s saying something and parroting something from what other guys are saying. To be honest, I think we’re pretty pampered here in Philadelphia. Lane then made another comment. Lane and I didn’t talk for an entire offseason. Lane is one of my best friends. I love that guy.

“This is part of being on a team. There are so many ups and downs. I’ve gotten into yelling matches with [O-line coach] Jeff Stoutland, a guy that I consider almost like a father. This thing brings out emotions and sides of people because you all want to win so bad.

“I hate seeing this. The only way out of this, and I mean this fully, and the only way… You talk to people. You be accountable. You try and work this out. It’s not that much different than what you do in your marriage. You try to be accountable to what you’re doing wrong, what you’re failing in. You try to take accountability to alleviate the burden off of other people. These are the ways you maintain relationships and maintain a team functionality.

“I think that there’s been reports of this over two or three years, and the team has still been massively successful. I think that by and large, the body of work that Jalen has put out there, you can’t deny, in my opinion. I think that you have to continue to work through this, and the only way to do that is to be accountable and to try and work together and maintain these relationships in a healthy way.”

When asked about the reported concern that some Eagles players might not like playing with Hurts, Kelce summed it up.

“I bet everybody liked winning the Super Bowl,” Kelce said. “I bet everybody likes winning football games.”