NFL linemen live with the moniker made famous by former comedian Rodney Dangerfield. They get no respect. Well... That isn't totally true anymore now, is it? Even before the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line began changing that narrative, in-depth stat analysis began making stars out of the guys up front.
They used to say, if linemen weren't mentioned, they were doing their job. Now, we mention O-linemen all of the time thanks to platforms like Pro Football Focus.
While other positions seek the limelight across the NFL, the Eagles' offensive line is content to do the grind work.
Cornerbacks and safeties celebrate in the open field when they knock down or intercept a pass. Running backs and wide receivers dance in the end zone after scoring a touchdown. Defensive tackles gyrate after they earn a sack.
But the five bulls on the front line of the Eagles merely return to their post to violently clash with defensive gladiators on the next play. The Eagles offensive line is the largest in the National Football League. They tip the scales at over 1,700 pounds collectively.
Trust us on this one. You can ask Saquon Barkley for verification. Philly's star tailback isn't eclipsing 2,000 yards rushing without the assistance of his bodyguards.
Clearing the path for Saquon Barkley
Saquon Barkley became only the 9th player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. He’s run for over 100 yards in 11 games this season. He is one of four NFL players to eclipse 2,000 all-purpose yards with two teams, but when praise is showered on him, he constantly turns the spotlight on his five protectors clearing holes as wide as gates.
“You can’t be great without the greatness of others,” he recently told reporters. “I can’t do it without my guys up front. You can never take away what I was able to do with the O line…they’ve made my job a lot easier.”
Fans, coaches, and players recently gave their approval to right tackle Lane Johnson, center Cam Jurgens, and left guard Landon Dickerson. They were all voted to the Pro Bowl.
The line has consistently been a rumbling wall for Barkley, clearing the way for the man who recently broke the single-season franchise record for rushing yards. That's impressive when you consider this team was born in 1933.
The bond is so strong that two of the linemen approached Eagles coach Nick Sirianni earlier in the year to plead that he hand the ball off to Barkley more often.
Protecting Jalen Hurts
Jeff Stoutland's crew has also served as the castle door in protecting quarterback Jalen Hurts. He has thrown 18 passing touchdowns and rushed for 14 more.
The Eagles' brand has been boosted by the popularity of Jason Kelce, its retired center and former team leader. He left the game after 13 NFL seasons. All were played with the Eagles.
The affable Kelce has become arguably the most famous offensive lineman in league history. He now appears in television commercials promoting everything from breakfast cereal to laundry detergent.
He is also an ESPN analyst and, with fellow Eagles linemen, has made two admired Christmas albums for charity.
Kelce served as an on-field coach, often pointing out defensive schemes. He, however, told Sunday Night Football commentators recently that there was one play he didn’t miss: The 'Tush Push'.
The brutality of 'The Brotherly Shove'
The quarterback sneak has become an Eagles trademark and an expected method of attack in short-yardage situations. We smile each time Hurts plunges across the goal line or gains the necessary yardage for a first down.
The play Eagles fans call the Brotherly Shove' in deference to the Philly label as the 'City of Brotherly Love' comes off with the barbarity of a car crash. Both lines try to get as low to the ground as they can for an advantage. More often than not, Philly gains that advantage.
The shove has worked for the Eagles 85 percent of the time since introducing it in 2022. It also accounts for 11 of Hurts’ rushing touchdowns this season.
“I don’t miss that play,” Kelce said recently. “Not one bit.” The esteem the Eagles crew is earning comes in the context of how brutal it is to play on the offensive line.
A forensic pathologist studied the brain of former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster after his death to track the rise in the degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE.
The doctor estimated that during his lifetime in football, including 245 NFL games over 17 seasons he took 70,000 hits to the brain. That may be a back-of-the-head concern for the Eagles offensive platoon but they’re not showing it.
They’re too busy earning respect. No one has any issue with giving them some.