Jason Kelce breaks silence after damning Jalen Carter critique from NFL analyst

Every great defense has its engine. That engine was Jalen Carter for the Philadelphia Eagles. Just a year ago, he was a force of nature, a wrecking ball in the middle of the line. Now, things look different. The roar has a cough in it. The once-dominant unit is sputtering, and everyone is leaning in, listening for the cause of the misfire. And the silence from one key voice was becoming deafening.

That silence broke on the 94 WIP Morning Show. The topic was the Eagles' shocking loss to the Giants. The conversation, however, circled back to one man. Analyst Brian Baldinger had already fired a brutal salvo.

Brian Baldinger's Critique & Jason Kelce's Response

He did not sugarcoat the situation. Baldinger’s critique was a sledgehammer. "Well, don't sugarcoat it here," said Baldinger. "He's been awful. He hasn't made one play. He hasn't shown any violence out there. He doesn't look like he's in great shape... he was an ascending player, we thought he'd be a dominant player but he doesn't look anything like that right now."

This was a damning assessment of a player many thought would be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Vic Fangio's defensive scheme is built like a house of cards, relying on Carter’s dominance to free everyone else.

The question hung in the Philadelphia air, thick as the tension at a playoff coin toss. Would the Eagles’ revered retired leader, Jason Kelce, confirm the diagnosis?

Kelce finally stepped to the microphone. He acknowledged the struggle but provided context and a veteran's perspective. He pointed to increased defensive attention and a potential lack of conditioning. "He's missed the first game obviously with the incident with Dak and you you go through the off-season. The way it works now, you don't really play football. The way you have to stay in shape is to actually like work out," Kelce noted.

"I always felt like it took me the first four weeks of the season to really feel like I was in football shape," Jason then added. He argued that Carter is likely discouraged but still shows flashes. This was a nuanced explanation from a former teammate who knows the grind.