The news has sunk in that the Philadelphia Eagles' longtime offensive line coach, Jeff Stoutland, is not coming back to the franchise after 13 years with the team.
Stoutland made his announcement on social media, which sparked a firestorm of emotions among the Eagles' fan base. That was followed by a team statement, but former Eagles center Jason Kelce's response resonated most with fans.
"There is absolutely no one I credit more with the career I had than Jeff Stoutland. The consistent passion and his eagerness to teach pushed my teammates, me, and our room to amazing success. More importantly, we became incredibly close as people. It was more than just coaching and teaching, it was his presence and sense of urgency that was unaccepting of mediocrity and potential left behind. He will undoubtedly be missed inside the building, and everyone that played for him. I am incredible grateful to have played for Stout, 1 of 1 coach and person. I love you coach."
Jason Kelce responds to Jeff Stoutland leaving the Eagles
It's a crushing blow to not only Kelce but the rest of the Eagles fan base. Stoutland was a big part of why the Eagles were so good over the last 13 years.
Philly averaged 10 wins a season since 2013 as Stoutland helped the Eagles make three Super Bowls, winning two of those. He produced some of the best offensive linemen in the past 20 years, including Kelce, Jason Peters, Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, Evan Mathis, Jordan Mailata, and many more.
A big reason the Eagles were so good was Stoutland and his help in the running game. Philly was consistently in the top 10 in rushing year after year, with last season being the outlier.
Read more: Old Sean Mannion acquaintance might sneak his way onto Eagles coaching staff
This is going to sting for a long time and is a huge loss for the Eagles, but fans are grateful for the work Stoutland has done over the years to help the team through its best decade-plus in franchise history.