Eagles ‘franchise legend’ Jason Kelce confirms he will play Week 1 at Detroit

Jason Kelce marked his return from elbow surgery on Wednesday afternoon in grand fashion.

When asked about the heightened expectations hovering the Eagles, the second longest-tenured player on the team set things straight.

“Expectations are nothing,” the four-time All-Pro center said. “We haven’t won nothing yet. We better work our [butts] off.”

Kelce missed a majority of training camp after he underwent a clean-out procedure on his right elbow Aug. 9. But he was back on the practice field Wednesday, ahead of the team’s season opener Sunday afternoon at Detroit.

His streak of 122 consecutive games started appears to no longer be in jeopardy. Kelce’s is the fourth-longest such streak in Eagles history and longest by any NFL interior lineman. The 12-year veteran turns 35 on Nov. 5.

Kelce felt discomfort for about two weeks before undergoing surgery. At the time, he said he wasn’t able to fully stretch out his arm.

“It happened so quickly,” he said. “We knew time was of the essence, so we wanted to make sure we acted quickly. ... [It got to] the point where I can’t do my job, that’s what it started to get to.”

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Because his injury affected his upper body, Kelce was able to actively participate in conditioning drills throughout his rehab. With Kelce out, rookie Cam Jurgens handled a majority of Kelce’s snaps with the first-team offense. Although Kelce didn’t practice much over the past month, he still appeared on the field near his linemates and quarterback Jalen Hurts.

“He’s a true vet,” Hurts said. “He’s like a coach on the field.”

“Luckily it’s an arm, and not a leg,” Kelce said. “I was able to keep running, moving around. Obviously it’s not the same as being in football shape ... so I was eager to see what it felt like. I feel really, really good. I’m moving around really well. I’m going to keep working hard this week. I feel ready to go for Detroit.”

Kelce’s return was welcomed by his teammates. Earlier in the week, left tackle Jordan Mailata labeled the five-time Pro Bowler as the team’s “fearless leader.”

“I need him to survive this season,” right tackle Lane Johnson said of Kelce. “He’s always been a pleasure to play with. Obviously, he’s a franchise legend. The leadership he brings is a great example for the O-line and the younger guys throughout the locker room. There’s a reason why he has respect from everybody.

“With the O-line, we need to have a short-term memory with everything that we do. We just try to stay steady and focused, and Kelce is the biggest example of that.”

Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s season opener against the Detroit Lions. Watch at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday