The Eagles lost to the 49ers the same way they had been losing for months, and Jason Kelce witnessed it up close. Speaking on ESPN on Monday after attending Philadelphia’s Wild Card loss, the franchise legend described a team that never fully pulled itself together as the season slipped away.
Jason Kelce Sees a Team That Never Found Its Identity
Kelce said what stood out most to him was not one blown play or one bad drive, but a season-long inability to lock in on the same purpose.
“It never felt like they were able to come together this year, and realize it’s about us, focus on your job. All these narratives out there,” Kelce said. “I didn’t think they handled it as well this year as they did last season.”
That assessment matched what unfolded against San Francisco. Philadelphia scored early, then watched its offense stall again. The Eagles did not reach the end zone in the second half of a 23–19 loss, extending a pattern that haunted them all season. It was the sixth time this year they failed to score a touchdown after halftime, the most under head coach Nick Sirianni.
The final drive captured everything. Down four points, Jalen Hurts moved the Eagles to the 21-yard line before everything unraveled. A.J. Brown dropped a pass. DeVonta Smith dropped another. Hurts was caught scrambling. A late timeout burned precious seconds. The season ended on a fourth-and-11 incompletion.
It was not one mistake. It was a sequence that felt familiar to anyone who had watched Philadelphia struggle to close games since October.
The Noise Finally Caught Up to the Eagles
Kelce’s comments lined up with what had been building inside the Eagles’ season. Philadelphia spent months insisting it would flip a switch when it mattered. Instead, the same issues kept resurfacing.
The offense averaged just 22 points per game across 18 contests despite returning nearly its entire Super Bowl lineup. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo took over play-calling duties, but the results never stabilized. The Eagles ranked 16th in PFSN’s OFFi.
Brown’s frustration had been simmering long before January. Against the 49ers, he did not record a catch in the second half and was seen in a sideline exchange with Sirianni after being slow to leave the field.
Hurts, who once carried the label of having a clutch gene, could not deliver when the season was on the line. He finished with 168 passing yards and one touchdown, taking responsibility afterward for not making the play that could have extended the season.
Kelce’s words cut to the heart of it. A lack of talent did not undo the Eagles. They were undone by a season-long failure to block out the noise and operate with a shared focus.
