Eagles' Tyler Steen 'Not Really Concerned' About Jason Kelce's Retirement Decision

Philadelphia Eagles second-year offensive lineman Tyler Steen could compete to be the starter at left guard depending on whether Jason Kelce decides to retire

PHILADELPHIA – Jason Kelce will have to reveal his retirement decision soon. He must, because that decision will depend on how the offseason takes shape for the Philadelphia Eagles.

If the veteran center returns the Eagles’ offensive line probably remains status quo, depending on how they feel Cam Jurgens held up throughout the season.

Jurgens played well for the first month of the season until a foot injury landed him on injured reserve. When he returned, his play wasn’t as consistent as it was before the injury. 

Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 63.0, which was 29th in the NFL for players at his position. By comparison, PFF ranked left guard Landon Dickerson 16th.

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If Kelce does not return, Jurgens would likely slide into the center spot, a position he is much better acquainted with after playing it for all four of his years at the University of Nebraska. It’s why he was drafted in the second round two years ago at No. 51 overall when they could have had one of the 10 players taken right after him:

• WR George Pickens

• WR Alec Pierce

• WR Skyy Moore

• TE Trey McBride

• DE Sam Williams

• OG Luke Goedeke

• LB Troy Anderson

• OG Ed Ingram

• CB Cam Taylor-Britt

• Edge Drake Jackson

Jurgens should settle nicely into center if Kelce retires, but then what happens at right guard?

That’s where Tyler Steen comes in. The Eagles selected him with one of their two third-round picks last year.

Reserve linemen Sua Opeta and Jack Driscoll are free agents and may not return, so the Eagles would have to draft somebody – and they still might even if Opeta and/or Driscoll re-signs – and throw the competition open between Steen, the draft pick, perhaps a free agent, and maybe Driscoll/Opeta.

Opeta was the direction the Eagles turned when Jurgens got hurt and the results were mixed, mixed enough that Steen eventually made a start in place of Opeta against the Dallas Cowboys. He played a total of three snaps over the final eight games after that and was inactive for the final two.

That may tell you all you need to know about how they felt about Steen as a rookie. He will have to take a big jump in Year 2 to give line coach Jeff Stoutland and head coach Nick Sirianni confidence to let him take the job full-time.

Steen was primarily a left tackle in college, so the adjustment to moving inside took some time.

“I feel like I came a long way, just learning and getting better, taking the coaching and stuff like that,” said Steen after the season ended. “It was an adjustment, moving from (left tackle to right guard), but I feel like with time and experience, it’s helped me a lot.”

Getting some game experience, primarily the 62 snaps he played against the Cowboys, should be beneficial, he said.

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“It helps a lot because it’s game situations, and you’re going against people you never faced,” he said. “You have to deal with the stresses of the game and the situations that come with it. I feel like that helps a lot, and I’ll take that into the offseason.”

As for Steen’s offseason approach, he said he isn’t going to worry about Kelce’s decision.

“The offseason is to get yourself better, to focus on yourself and become a better player in order to help the team,” he said. “I’m not really concerned (about) what other people do. I’m going to do the same thing regardless. At the end of the day, I’ll do whatever the team asks me to do because I just want to help the team.”