April 17, 2024
It was mostly projecting before. Cam Jurgens played center at Nebraska before moving to play guard with the Eagles, alongside future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce. He was drafted to learn from Kelce while he played next to him. And it's finally time — right?
With the Eagles veterans back in Philly as they start their long preparation for the new season, Jurgens is starting to feel what it's like to finally replace the living legend, getting ready to snap footballs and call coverages for the Eagles esteemed offensive line.
“They moved my locker into [Jason Kelce’s old locker] so that’s kinda weird," Jurgens told media members Wednesday. "I went to the wrong locker a couple times.”
Kelce's locker in the back corner of the locker room at the NovaCare Complex was cleared out in totality for the first time in over a decade, and if the locker room shuffle is any indication, perhaps Tyler Steen is next in line to start at right guard, as he's taken Jurgens' old locker.
Jurgens is confident in having the role of changing protections at the line of scrimmage when necessary, he did it in college, and he has no doubt he'll be able to get on the same page with Jalen Hurts. The Eagles QB1 seems confident too.
"I don't think you can replace a guy like [Kelce] but I think we've got special guys here," Hurts said, "and we're going to get guys with that sense of culture and mentality to be truly hungry and go out there and do great things.
"For Kelce, he pump faked us a couple times. He's had a great career, I think from my experience playing with him I have learned a lot for sure."
With Hurts under contract until 2028 and Jurgens very likely to sign an extension to his rookie deal (signed as a 2022 second round pick), this could be a duo working closely together for a long time.
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