Philadelphia Eagles

Why Jason Kelce actually agreed with Tom Brady's day off

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Tom Brady, as he often is, was in the middle of a mini-kerfuffle this week when reports of him taking Wednesdays "off" from practice bubbled up.

The Buccaneers quarterback, who is 45 and is playing in the 23rd year of an NFL career which has included 365 total starts, is actually practicing Wednesday after all, a slight shakeup either born of public scorn or something else mysterious.

But Bucs head coach Todd Bowles explained that scheduled days off for players isn't uncommon, and other guys on the Bucs roster do the same thing.

MORE: Eagles show off balance that makes passing attack dangerous

Eagles center Jason Kelce, who has played 169 football games across his 12-year career and has missed just four starts since 2013, said on the 'New Heights' podcast with his brother and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce that he actually supported Brady's Wednesdays off because he, too, is a veteran rest day participant.

Here's what he had to offer on the concept of giving older players a breather on Wednesdays:

"TRAVIS: Are you a vet day guy?

"JASON: I have to be, because I get veteran rest days on Wednesdays. So I am - I have no choice but to be in full support of this.

"TRAVIS: Just when I thought we worked harder than everybody, you're taking days off.

"JASON: We still go out there, we're still out at practice, but yeah we get some veteran rest days for me, and I'm trying to think of who else gets it. Lane Johnson. 

"[...]

"I will say this, I used to be firmly against this and I didn't think - especially in a position of communication. Part of my job is making sure everyone else is on the same page and everything is being communicated and everybody else knows what they're supposed to do off that communications. The QB and the center are two positions that control a lot of that communication, so it was hard for me to fathom not being out there and handling that. 

"That being said, I finally got talked into it by some of the strength coaches coming into Philadelphia and saying, 'Listen Jason, this is really gonna help you. We've done this with the Rams, we know this is going to make a meaningful impact on your legs. Will you please just try it out?' And I started doing it, and I'm not going to lie I felt much better on game days. So we kept doing it."

Makes perfect sense to me. 

I think fans need to get comfortable with the concept of letting players, especially veteran players, take a little time off now and then to stay healthy and fresh. Pro sports are absolutely brutal and exhausting on the body. These dudes need some rest now and then? Fine with me.

I feel like I need a day off from Average Joe working out after four measly days in a row. These guys are grinding year-round. Let them live.

I hope Kelce keeps taking his Wednesdays easy, and shoot - if he needs Thursdays to be days off? That's also cool. Whatever it takes to keep the center at peak performance. The guy is still mauling.

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