Eagles center Jason Kelce isn't taking anything for granted in 2023, recently sharing his thoughts on a potential Super Bowl run this season.
In theory, an NFL team that reached the Super Bowl last year — barring any dramatic roster changes — should have a pretty good chance of doing so again the next year, right?
The Philadelphia Eagles managed to keep their core together despite a few big fish (namely, Javon Hargrave) leaving in free agency, and on paper they appear primed to enjoy another year of success.
Eagles center Jason Kelce, who's entering his 13th season in Philly, knows the path to the Super Bowl is always rocky and never that simple, telling the media that it's going to be "even harder" to have a "really good season."
The Eagles legend has collected plenty of morsels of knowledge in the past decade and counting, and even at the ripe age of 35 years old, he's going into the 2023 season with essentially a rookie, gotta-prove-it mentality.
"We're starting, in my mind, from ground one. We're starting from the very bottom again and we're installing all the plays – this is what you have to do… We're going to have to earn it the same way we did last year. They don't just hand it to you in this league."
Eagles center Jason Kelce addresses the harsh reality of making the Super Bowl again
The grizzled vet also pointed out that the Eagles may have a target on their backs after putting together such a glorious 2022 campaign that saw them top their division, roll through their postseason opponents, and go toe-to-toe against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
"When you do win and have a successful year, all offseason, all the offenses are looking to steal things that you do well. All the defenses are looking to stop the innovative, creative things that you're doing so you have more eyes on you… We have a lot to prove and it's going to be even harder to have a really, really good season."
He's not wrong. The Eagles' recent successes have helped light a fire underneath their NFC rivals, the Cowboys and the Giants, to try to knock the Birds off the pedestal in 2023.
The Eagles made critical moves to boost their roster this offseason — well, so did the rest of the NFL.
Retaining Jason Kelce for his experience and leadership was key, as was remodeling the running back room and adding Rashaad Penny and D'Andre Swift for cheap.
Drafting Jordan Davis helped to alleviate the pain of losing Javon Hargrave in free agency, with many calling Howie Roseman a light-fingered virtuoso for his sneaky good trades and recent draft choices.
Is the Eagles roster as deep as it was last year? There's no way to tell for sure. What can be nitpicked is the offensive line, which could lose some stability following right guard Isaac Seumalo's departure.
Getting Kelce back may instill in the Eagles plenty of motivation to "run it back" in 2023, but he's taking an extra-cautious approach to Philly's championship-winning potential for good reason.