While Jason Kelce was viewed for most of his career as a top-flight NFL center, he took his lumps like anyone else. Not just during his rookie year but even midway through his career, including a bumpy start to his 2016 season under new OC Frank Reich. But after struggling early in the year and facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kelce’s year – and career – got a whole lot better.
Appearing on the latest episode of The Pivot, Kelce walked the hosts through the season.
“I say the 2016 season, the only two games I’m upset with from that season are the first two,” Kelce told Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor. “We got things fixed relatively quickly…We played the Browns early on. Danny Shelton beat the crap out of me. I was playing with hands [wide], I’m high, the technique is atrocious.”
Philadelphia opened the year against Cleveland, and though they enjoyed a comfortable 29-10 win, Kelce wasn’t happy with his outing. Shelton, a top-15 pick the year before, was a large man in the middle. Classic run-plugging nose tackle who towered over Kelce. Despite Kelce having built-in leverage, he struggled to stay low and get into Shelton’s chest.
Kelce thought his performance against the Steelers two games later was better. But not everyone agreed.
“We played the Steelers the next week. I actually thought I played really fuckin’ good against the Steelers. I think I’m balling. I look at the grade, you look at the grade afterward now that PFF is out, and I’m like, ‘man, I thought I played great. These guys are saying I’m still shitty.’ I don’t know what’s going on.”
There was good reason for Kelce to feel good in the moment. Philadelphia won in blowout fashion 34-3 as QB Ben Roethlisberger was sacked four times, and the Steelers’ running game was bottled up. The Eagles ran for over 120 yards and two touchdowns. But alas, Jason Kelce wasn’t quite there, at least not in PFF’s eyes. They have him with an ugly 25.9 pass-blocking grade despite not allowing a single pressure, hurry, or sack. From there, he felt a whole lot better about the season.
“After that Steelers game, I settled into the new offense a lot better. I was utilizing better technique. And then with a full offseason of doing that and continuing that with Stout, it took off the next season.”
From there, Kelce’s career took off. Though he made a Pro Bowl in 2014, he would be selected there every year for the next eight seasons, from 2016 through the end of his career in 2023. In six of those seasons, he was named All-Pro, a resume that will earn him a gold jacket in Canton. That wasn’t because he played the Steelers, who he would have fun against in 2022, but it served as a catalyst. Warmups and adjustments to a new offense. Once Kelce got comfortable, he took off and never looked back.
Check out the whole episode below.
