Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce is the model for undersized centers at every level of football, and has found himself a fan in Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum.
"One of the best centers to ever play the game – still playing – is Jason Kelce," Linderbaum said per the Ravens team site. “He's undersized and he plays at such a high level. I think guys that think that are wrong just because there's a lot of people that can play at a high level, and especially him, who will be a Hall of Famer."
At 36 years old, Kelce is still the heart of the Eagles offensive line and a driving force behind why the offense is so successful. He is often considered to be one of the most important offensive players in the NFL, even as a center.
He is sometimes seen as undersized for a center at 6-3, 295 pounds. That hasn't stopped him from being named to six Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams, as well as winning Super Bowl LII with Philadelphia.
Linderbaum has been one of the top centers in the league since he was drafted No. 25 overall by the Ravens in the 2022 NFL Draft. The 23-year-old center praised Kelce, saying that he watches his tape almost religiously.
"I watch his tape all the time, maybe sometimes more than mine," Linderbaum said. "There's a lot of stuff as centers that you can't do what he's doing, just the way he moves his body, the way he's able to get in certain positions. But you're always trying to learn from guys who have been successful and he's certainly one of them."
The Eagles are on a bye week but will have a Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs when they return. The game will be on Monday Night Football in Kansas City on Nov. 20 at 8:15 p.m.
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