Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox retired and left the Eagles with just four players remaining from the 2017 Super Bowl season.
The Philadelphia Eagles are entering a new era in 2024 after franchise stalwarts Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox retired at the end of last season.
In the eyes of one league executive, the loss of Kelce and Cox leaves the Eagles without their identity going into next season.
“I just don’t know who they are,” the executive told The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “I think they lost their identity and lost their confidence. Teams say they want to build from the inside out, but you lost your two staple inside players in Kelce and Cox. Not only that, but those two guys were the culture guys. You lose those guys in a year when the head coach already has his back against the wall, I don’t see it ending well.”
Kelce and Cox announced their retirements within one week of each other. Kelce gave his farewell address during a press conference on March 4. Cox followed on March 10 with a letter posted to the Eagles’ official website.
Both players were staples of Philadelphia football for more than one decade. Kelce was an NFL ironman with 167 consecutive starts at center between the regular season and playoffs dating back to Week 9 of the 2014 until the end of his career.
Cox was a first-round draft pick in 2012 and started 182 games over the course of his 12-year career. He was a four-time All-Pro selection and seven-time Pro Bowler.
