Jason Kelce—First-ballot Hall of Famer?

By John Turney 

One of the things that NFL fans enjoyed over the past decade was watching a center snap the ball, then lead his running backs ... or recipients of screen passes ... to the outside, and not only do it a lot; but do it effectively.

In other words, one of the things they enjoyed was watching Eagles' center Jason Kelce.

Granted, what he did wasn't all that unusual. Some centers do it, though not regularly. But with Kelce, it was routine. It happened often, and it happened in this era ... which is rare ... and which made him unique.

But it made him more than that. Now that he's retired after 13 seasons, it made him someone who will be missed.

So what's next? Perhaps a second career in broadcasting, taking the path of other notable football players, but that's not a sure thing. What is, however, is a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Guaranteed, Jason Kelce winds up in Canton someday.

But that's not the question. This is: Will it be as a first-ballot member Class of 2029?

I ask because centers historically aren't elected immediately. Since the Hall's initial class in 1963, only two pivots have been first-ballot inductees -- Jim Otto and Jim Langer. Bruce Matthews, who played a lot of center but was also a guard, was a first-ballot choice, too. But that's it.

Mike Webster wasn't. He played 17 years, was a multi-year All-Pro and had 4 rings. But another great center -- Dwight Stephenson -- was competing with Webster, and there was considerable debate over which was better. As it turned out, Webster was elected in his second year of eligibility and Stephenson the year afterward.

So would history affect Kelce? I'm not sure, but I don't think so.

First of all, his case is too strong. And, second, there won't be the competition in five years that Webster and Stephenson faced. Basically, Kelce checks too many of the desired boxes for enshrinement not to be elected on his first try. 

Aside from passing the "eye test" for a center blocking outside zones or even leads, he's a central part of the controversial Philadelphia "Tush Push," the highly effective quarterback sneak that could be outlawed in the future. The play involves Kelce snapping to freakishly strong-legged quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is then aided by two players pushing him from behind.

It's a four-plus-man operation, but Kelce's role can't be minimalized. It wouldn't have worked without him, and don't take it from me. Take it from Kelce, who actually tells opponents it's coming ... just before it's successful.

It was invented in Philadelphia, and, if outlawed, constitutes a legitimate role in "changing the game" -- an all-too-often claim by supporters of Hall-of-Fame candidates. But in this case, the "Tush Push" already changed it by compelling other teams to copy it (less successfully) and provoking debate to eliminate it.

But that's not all. Kelce checks the usual boxes like team success (he has a Super Bowl ring) and individual honors (multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams). The Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2017 beating the Patriots and fell short last year, losing to the Chiefs on a last-second field goal. Now, compare to the first-ballot guys. Otto never won a ring, while Langer was a big part of two.

That puts Kelce is right in the middle.

Among the 14 Hall-of-Fame centers, including the two-way guys, only four played more games than Kelce's 193. He also started every game that he played in, and only Otto and Mick Tingelhoff can make that claim. Plus, Kelce started the last 175 games of his career.

He was voted to seven Pro Bowls. Otto, Webster, Jim Ringo and Kevin Mawae were, too. So was Chuck Bednarik, though some of his selections were in seasons where he was more a linebacker than a center.

But Kelce's greatest achievement is that he was a consensus first-team All-Pro six times. Only Otto, Mel Hein and Bulldog Turner were named more, with Ringo and Tingelhoff (along with special-case Bednarik) tied with Kelce.

Now, remember: Otto was technically All-AFL for most of his selections and Tingelhoff All-NFL. It wasn't until the late 1960s when the media and players began to have combined All-AFL/NFL teams, that the term "All-Pro" was devised.  Had voters had a choice among Otto, Tingelhoff and Ringo, they probably wouldn't have chosen the same player year after year. In fact, in the early 1960s, it would have been hard for any AFL player to supplant someone like Jim Ringo on a combined All-Pro team.

All that means is that Kelce's selections came during a more competitive era. Now there are 32 teams with 32 centers, rather than in a league with 16 or 10 teams. Plus, six consensus All-Pro selections are a lot.

For ANY era.

Kelce was not voted to an all-decade team, but there's an explanation: His career overlapped two decades. He was dominant from 2014 (his first Pro Bowl) through 2023 (consensus All-Pro), so his era was really mid-2010s to mid-2020s. If there were a 2015-2024 all-decade team, he'd probably be a unanimous choice.

Also, keep in mind that he was snubbed for the 2010's all-decade team after having been first-team All-Pro more often than Maurkice Pouncey and Alex Mack -- the centers who made it.

"You can't watch film of (Kelce) and try to emulate yourself after him," Buffalo center Mitch Morse told NFL100, "because there are just certain things he's doing that you can't do."

Other players marveled at his speed.

"You don't see an offensive lineman keep up with running backs," said Cleveland guard Wyatt Teller. "He's awesome."

But there was more to Jason Kelce than his speed. He wasn't just a fullback-converted-to-center guy. He could move people, as his peers explained:

-- "He's the only one I've seen get Dexter Lawrence outta there", said running back Jamal Williams..

--"He's got the ability to displace a defensive lineman," said Morse, "who is, on paper, bigger than he is. He's just a remarkable football player."

-- "Kelso is the best center in our game," said Cam Heyward, the Steelers' All-Pro defensive lineman.

--"He's by far the best in the league," said Tennessee center Ben Jones. "He's done it on a high level for 12 years."

Kelce was a do-it-all center. Block the guy in front of him. Get the linebacker on the next level. Or the safety on the next. Get to the outside. Make the right adjustments in pass protection. Battle with the guy right in front of him.

All of it. 

Simply put, Kelce has a case that few others, at any position, have -- a ring, multiple All-Pros, Pro Bowls, a role in changing the game and glowing testimonials from peers that show he was not just one of the best at his position; he was THE best.

When you watch the NFL Honors show in February 2029 it would be surprising if Jason Kelce's name is not read. There may have been snubs of centers in the past, but that was then. This is now. Jason Kelce was a cut above.