Eagles' Rookie Meets Legend For the First Time

A meeting in the weight room at rookie camp has one Eagles rookie sky-high.

Mar 2, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; North Carolina State offensive lineman Dylan McMahon (OL49) / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA - According to Eagles’ GM Howie Roseman, eyes lit up Thursday at the NovaCare Complex when six-time All-Pro center and future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce stopped by the weight room to meet Day 3 rookie offensive linemen Trevor Keegan and Dylan McMahon.

The connection with McMahon is especially interesting because Kelce entered the NFL as an athletic sixth-round, undersized longshot to everyone but then-offensive line coach Howard Mudd in 2011.

Fast forward to April of 2024 and Kelce is the retired Eagles’ legend with the GPS programmed for Canton as McMahon arrives as the athletic, undersized pivot hopeful from North Carolina State selected at No. 190 overall, one slot ahead of where Kelce went 13 years ago. 

“That was pretty crazy,” McMahon said of the meeting. “I came in (Thursday) and I had to meet with Mr. Howie [Roseman] and when I went in the weight room to meet him ... Jason Kelce was in there and [Roseman] introduced me to Kelce right away. 

“That was a pretty crazy moment because I’ve watched him since I was little playing football.”

McMahon then echoed what he said after being drafted before explaining what a resource Kelce may end up being.

“He’s the best center to ever do it,” the rookie said. “Just meet him and have him around this building to be able to pick his brain once in a while is just an amazing experience.”

On the surface, the current Eagles don’t need McMahon to step in right away with the talented Cam Jurgens set to take over for Kelce as Jalen Hurts’ center but things are always fluid in the NFL.

Jurgens, a natural center, was more than solid when healthy as the starter at right guard last season while Kelce was finishing up his brilliant career. That RG position is now a question mark moving into 2024 with second-year player Tyler Steen the leader in the clubhouse. Meanwhile, Jurgens was not as durable as Kelce, missing six games during his first season as a starter.

There’s also a firewall between the Eagles needing a rookie to play center in the form of Matt Hennessy, a free-agent signing who was once an ascending player in Atlanta before injuries derailed his past two seasons.  

The stars would have to align for McMahon to have immediate relevance for a contending team but crazier things happen in the NFL weekly like Kelce becoming a Day 1 starter in 2011.

“[Kelce] looked at me and said, ‘Undersized center?’ ” McMahon smiled. “We have that in common.”

Then things got a bit deeper.

“We talked a little bit about football and the guys I’ll be facing regularly in our division,” McMahon said. “[Kelce]  just said, ‘Make sure you’re staying in the weight room and putting good weight on you. With the frame of your body, there are good places to put weight and good places to add muscle.’ “

From there it was just ‘good luck,’ a stark reminder that McMahon’s path will be his own.

“It was pretty surreal meeting him and he just said he hopes to be able to help me out in any way he can,” the rookie said. “It was pretty cool.”

What success stories like Kelce and plenty of others around the NFL provide for any late-round pick or undrafted free agent is inspiration and proof that if you can play, people will notice.

“There are plenty of those stories ... so you know that it’s possible,” McMahon said. “You just have to keep your head down, work hard and really buy into what [offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland] is doing here.

“... There’s no ceiling that’s too high.”

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