Over the last decade, Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox have been considered two true faces of the Philadelphia Eagles franchise.
Kelce, arguably the greatest center of all time and a former sixth-round pick in 2011, was named a first-team All-Pro for the sixth time in his NFL career following the 2023 season. Cox, a 2012 first-round pick, put forth one of his more efficient seasons last year with five sacks from the interior.
The future of both players is clouded heading into the 2024 offseason, however. Kelce (36) has been contemplating retirement this offseason, while Cox (33) is set to hit the free agent market.
Could both faces of the franchise over the last decade be on their way out?
Howie Roseman Preaches Patience for Fans and Veteran Stars
At Indianapolis for the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman made it abundantly clear that the organization would allow both Kelce and Cox to decide on whether they would return to play for another season before getting into contract talks.
“We’ll wait and give them whatever time and space they need,” Roseman stated. “The important thing from our perspective is you never want to see them wearing different colors.”
Philadelphia currently has over $27 million in cap space according to Over The Cap. While bringing back two of the leaders of the roster is a high priority, the Eagles have plenty of other needs to address on the roster. They can open up close to $70 million with releases and cap restructures.
Former first-round wide receiver DeVonta Smith and second-round offensive lineman Landon Dickerson can both agree to long-term extensions — another major priority for Roseman to solve this offseason.
Kelce and Cox are synonymous with the Eagles, though. Should one or both decide to return for another season, two of the longest-tenured members of the franchise in history should be allowed to come back on a deal of their choice. Only defensive end Brandon Graham, another long-time Eagle and pending free agent, has played in more games than the two stalwarts on the inside.
While Kelce has not publicly stated his intentions on whether he will retire or not, Adam Schefter reported that the center privately told the team that this would be his last season immediately following their 32-9 playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Top 100 Free Agent Rankings
Cox is a different story. The All-Pro DL is past his prime, in which he was considered the best interior tackle not named Aaron Donald, but had a strong free agent market just last season. Should he elect to come back for a 13th season, there’s no guarantee that he would even want to return to the team that drafted him out of Mississippi State.
If Roseman has his way, though, both players will be back with the Eagles should they both elect to play another season.
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