The Eagles fired head coach Doug Pederson after ending a three-year run of playoff appearances by going 4-11-1 in 2021 and team owner Jeffrey Lurie said the team was in a “real transition period” away from the team that won Super Bowl LII.
Being in a transition period is rarely considered to be a good thing for a team’s playoff chances and veteran center Jason Kelce was asked during a Wednesday press conference about being part of a team in that position. Kelce said there’s “no question” that the team is transitioning because of all the changes that the team’s gone through this offseason.
He also noted that there are examples of teams like last year’s Browns that have changed head coaches and made the playoffs right away as a way of saying the Eagles could do two things at once.
“I think the biggest difference between football and a lot of other sports is that being in a transition period doesn’t mean that you can’t compete and be competitive. . . . The bottom line is, we can be competitive, win games,” Kelce said. “We can win this division, I have no doubt about that. If we go about it the right way, if we improve, if we continue to get better as a team. We can also be in a transition period.”
Washington also made the playoffs with a new coach last season, so Kelce’s right that the two things aren’t mutually exclusive. That won’t make it a popular opinion outside the Eagles locker room heading into the season, but Kelce and his teammates will get their chance to prove them wrong.
