Eagles Center Stage: Dominant Performance Earns Breakout Player a Spot in the Dominant Dozen
He was hobbled with a back injury in the two biggest games the Eagles played last year. Yet, Cam Jurgens played on, toughing it out to be there for his teammates.
All season, the Eagles’ center had been there for his team, stepping into the massive shoes left behind by the retirement of Jason Kelce.
The ability to make the transition away from a Hall of Fame center look seamless, coupled with his skillset, are why he landed on our list of the most dominant dozen Eagles from their Super Bowl-winning season.
The list was compiled by Eagles on SI beat writers Ed Kracz and John McMullen. They put together their lists independent of each other, with No. 1 being awarded 12 points, down to the 12th man earning one point.
DeVonta Smith kicked off the countdown at No. 12, collecting three points. Jurgens had four points, all of which came from Kracz, who put Jurgens at No. 9. McMullen did not have the center on his list.
Whittling the field to just 12 players wasn’t easy because the Eagles were so deep and talented. Jurgens fell victim to this on McMullen’s list.
Jurgens’ back was so bad late in the season that he wasn’t scheduled to play in the NFC Championship Game. Landon Dickerson moved over from right guard to cover Jurgens’ spot.
Dickerson, however, suffered a knee injury that forced the Eagles to turn to Jurgens at halftime. Philly didn’t miss a beat in throttling the Commanders, 55-23 to advance to Super Bowl LIX.
Despite the two weeks between games, Jurgens still wasn’t 100 percent in New Orleans. He had an offseason procedure on his back this offseason, though he is expected to be ready to go when training camp opens in July.
Jurgens was named to his first Pro Bowl after the season, his first at center. Following a rookie season in which he mostly watched and learned, Jurgens played right guard in his second season before moving over to the position he was drafted to play.
A new contract could be awarded to Jurgens between now and then or during the 2025 season because this will be the final year of a rookie deal he signed after being selected in the second round of the 2022 draft.
