Philadelphia Eagles legend on Alabama alumnus’ opportunity: ‘If I’m Tyler, I’m licking my chops’
Eagles: Jason Kelce’s retirement after 13 seasons as the center for the Philadelphia Eagles created a spot in the lineup for former Alabama offensive tackle Tyler Steen.
Steen didn’t get it, but the opening has returned for 2025.
“If I’m Tyler, I’m licking my chops,” Kelce said on Thursday during an appearance on the “WIP Morning Show” on WIP-FM in Philadelphia. “I got an opportunity here. And I think he was last year, too.
“Steen last year, a big reason it went to Mekhi (Becton) early was because he was hurt. He was out for almost all of training camp. He had an ankle injury, and that’s kind of when Mekhi started playing right guard and really got the bulk of the reps. And then Mekhi flourished with that opportunity. But I don’t know Steen did a lot to necessarily lose that position.”
After the 2023 season, Kelce retired, starting the six-time All-Pro’s countdown to eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
To fill the spot at center, the Eagles plugged in Cam Jurgens, who had spent his second season as Kelce’s heir apparent playing right guard in 2023.
After one season as a third-round rookie that included one start at right guard, Steen appeared next in line to step into Jurgens’ old spot.
But with Steen hobbled in training camp, Becton got the opportunity to show what he could do at right guard. A free-agent signing, Becton had started 30 games at left tackle in four seasons for the New York Jets after entering the NFL as the 11th pick in the 2020 draft.
Becton flourished in a way that he hadn’t at tackle. He started 15 regular-season games and four postseason contests as Philadelphia won the NFL championship in 2024.
Earlier this month, Becton signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers as he left the Eagles via free agency.
The other four offensive-line starters are back for the Eagles in 2025, with Jurgens at center, Jordan Mailata at left tackle, Landon Dickerson (another former Alabama standout) at left guard and Lane Johnson at right tackle.
In addition to losing Becton, Philadelphia lost swing tackle Fred Johnson to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency after he played 42 percent of the offensive snaps last season as the swing tackle.
Former Auburn standout Jack Driscoll and Nick Gates remain unsigned as unrestricted free agents after making one start apiece in the Eagles’ offensive line.
Steen started two regular-season games in 2024 – at right guard in a 37-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 27 and left guard in a 20-13 victory over the New York Giants on Jan. 5. He also handled left guard during Philadelphia’s 55-23 victory over the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 26.
“For the most part, I think Steen played well in the games,” Kelce said. “I would like to see him be a little bit more consistent. He’s very good at times, and other times he’ll get a little bit out of balance or he’ll get beat. But he’s a good player and somebody I certainly am happy with going into a season playing.
“My concern a little bit is you lose Mekhi, you also lose Fred Johnson. You had the Cam and Landon injuries going into the Super Bowl and after that. I want to see who is going to replace this depth issue because the offensive line, the starting five is great and we were very lucky to have all five of those guys pretty much healthy all of last year. That’s not that common in the NFL. Who are we getting that’s going to be those next guys? Who’s going to be the Tyler Steen this year if Tyler Steen is a starter and somebody needs to play? Is this a major drop-off that really hurts the unit?”
On March 11, Philadelphia traded safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans for guard Kenyon Green, who before next month’s NFL Draft, appears Steen’s main competitor for the right-guard spot.
The 15th selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Green started 23 games in three seasons with Houston and missed the entire 2023 campaign because of a shoulder injury.
“They traded, obviously, CJGJ for Kenyon Green, who has played, if I’m being honest, bad, and he was, like, really bad,” Kelce said. “But I do know he was a hot commodity when he was coming out in the draft. The measurables and the potential there, when you look at that stuff, is exciting. I don’t want to excite anybody. You never know. Is there a coaching thing that can make this better or is this a lack of instinct and lack of kind of like not understanding that he’s not going to be able to grasp it?”