Veterans Darius Slay, Jason Kelce Still Working to Get Better

Two of the team leaders say there is always something to get better at no matter how long they have been in the league, look ahead to the preseason opener

PHILADELPHIA – Even now, all these years later, Jason Kelce and Darius Slay have things they need to work on to prepare for the season, and preseason games still matter.

There were no preseason games a year ago with the global pandemic in full swing, but the Eagles will open the exhibition season on Thursday night with a visit from the Pittsburgh Steelers (7 p.m.).

“Yeah, I missed it a little bit (last year) because the fact that it gets you going,” said Slay following Tuesday’s practice. “It gives you that competitive edge and get the feel of the game. Last year was kind of bad because of COVID. It got a lot to do with conditioning.

“We had to do a lot of stuff to get it right. This year, it’s a lot different. I’m looking forward to the preseason, actually, get a couple series, a couple of reps, however, it works. I’ll be needing it. I like to work.”

Slay is entering his ninth season, the wily veteran teaching new tricks to the younger defensive backs and wide receivers. He also keeps things light. Very light, a jokester always talking about how much better looking he is than anybody else, all in good fun.

Asked about WR Quez Watkins’ camp so far, Slay said: “Ugly Quez? Ugly Quez been doing a great job.”

And why does he call him ugly?

“Because most likely he is,” was his answer.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts entered the media tent at that point ready to replace Slay at the podium, and Slay added: “Hurts is ugly, too. I look better than him, too.”

MORE FROM CAMP: Training Camp Thoughts Day 11: Slay Slays It, Injuries Grow

Slay takes the game seriously, though. You don’t hang around for nearly a decade and take it lightly.

“I don’t know everything,” he said. “I’m not the smartest man in the world. The only thing I do know is me working hard and I’m gonna reach my goal.

“I like to work hard, man. I want to be the best at this game. And guys in the room motivate me all the time to be the best. And I want to be the best for them, and myself. So I go out there with a lot of chips on my shoulder, with my name on the back, my family, my teammates, and the man above. I just pride myself on working hard.”

Kelce feels the same way as he enters his 11th season and does so with a strong of 105 straight starts at center.

Jason Kelce :: Ed Kracz/SI.com Eagle Maven

“You’re always working on something,” said Kelce. “Maybe you’re working on making sure you get the right point on a blitz pickup. Maybe you’re working on making sure today we’re going to put out hands where they need to be, we’re going to get both of our hands inside. Stout (Eagles O-line coach Jeff Stoutland) likes to refer to it as what’s our one up? How are we getting better today? What’s the one thing we need to improve today to be a better football player?

"There’s always things throughout camp. Whether it’s punching and extending so you’re not susceptible to getting beat in games. Whether it’s getting your hands up underneath to play with leverage so you’re not getting beat with power, that list is changing as you’re going and improving. You’re always working on something no matter what year you’re in.”

To further illustrate the point, Kelce referred to what is becoming a popular topic of player interviews and that is the video teaching technique employed by Nick Sirianni.

Kelce said Sirianni showed a video of Kobe Bryant in the latter stages of the late NBA great’s Hall of Fame career.

“One of the things he felt as an older player as he got a little slower, a little less physically gifted, he went right back to working on those fundamentals, working on the footwork,” said Kelce about Bryant. “All these little things combined with his wealth of experience helped him get more out of his career. You’re always working on something like that.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.