We are now three days into the drama surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles’ decision to drop quarterback Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter of their final season, and there is still no sign that it is still dying.
Center Jason Kelce refutes a recent report in the Philadelphia Inquirer claiming that players are angry, and that two defensive players of the approaching head coach Doug Pederson had to be held back on the sidelines after making one of the most controversial decisions about coaching took the season: benching Nate Sudfeld, third back-to-back, hurts when the Eagles were just three points behind.
In an Instagram post, Kelce said he and others were not only aware that the change could be made, but were also excited that Sudfeld would get the chance to make his NFL debut after four years as a backup.
Kelce: Nobody was confrontational
Kelce’s Instagram post on Wednesday morning added another narrative to this ongoing Eagles soapie. He stood by Pederson’s decision to remove Hurts and put Sudfeld in, saying no one, including himself, is confrontational about the decision along the sidelines. While admitting he was surprised the move happened at the time, he said that “we all believe we can win with Nate Sudfeld.”
‘I thought I would clear the air just to explain and to portray more accurately what happened during the game on Sunday. At the end of the third term, I was told on the bench that Sudfeld was going to play in the game. I went to Doug and asked if he was taking out Hurts, and he said, ‘Yeah, I think Nate deserves the right to play.’ I said, ‘Everyone stays in?’ He said, “Absolutely.” I then went to look for Suddy. Start by taking the sideline with him, call the other lineouts and let them listen to his speed score to make sure everyone is on the rhythm of his cadence, and then head out for the next ride.
At no point was anything from me or anyone else confronting. We all knew that the lead to the game led to Sudfeld being ready to play, and that Doug wanted to see what he could do in a game situation. All of us during the week ahead were excited for Nate, a man who has been with us for four years to get an opportunity in a real game to show the world what he can do. We all have complete confidence in Nate as a player. There’s a reason he’s been here so long, and a reason the team brought him back. And that’s because we feel Nate is a man we can win with.
‘I understand the optics of what it looked like there, and I would be lying if I were not a little surprised, given the circumstances that the step took place, but each of us did our best and everyone believes that we can win with Nate Sudfeld. It was a difficult situation, especially if you have a ten-year veteran center who does not snap the ball accurately during your second game. I know we can win games with Nate because I know Suddy can play. It didn’t work out Sunday, but as always, it wasn’t just for him. ”
Other Eagles players upset over Pederson’s decision
Kelce used ‘us’ a lot in his Instagram post, but the whole team may not be as together about this as he says. In an interview with 94WIP on Tuesday, Miles Sanders, the respondent, said that “no one likes the decision” to place Hurts and put Sudfeld in for the fourth quarter.
‘Oh man, if I’m honest, no one liked the decision. No one. And that’s all I can say. I do not know who the main character was behind the decision, but I just know that there are many people in the team [who] was confused. ”
So we said Kelce said, “we all believe we can win with Nate Sudfeld,” and Sanders said, “no one likes the decision” to place Hurts for Sudfeld.
Where does the truth lie here? It would usually be somewhere in the middle of these two tasks, but in this case, who knows. The only thing that is clear is that the team is in trouble. The Eagles were a mess on the field to end the season, and the off-season began with the mess moving from the field to the locker room.
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