It started like any other laid-back episode of the New Heights podcast. The Kelce brothers’ pod might be the inspiration, but the energy is different. Two rising stars of the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense, safety Reed Blankenship and second-year cornerback Cooper DeJean, are hosting their show. But as it always is when Jason Kelce is around, within minutes, the conversation turned electric. The NFL legend and former Eagles center sat across from the two, and that’s when the million-dollar question came up: If the 2017 Eagles faced off against the 2025 Eagles, who would win? You already know something is coming up, right?
Kelce took a deep breath, half-laughing. “Yeah, I saw you guys asked this to Chris,” he said. “By the time we were in the Super Bowl [in 2017], we had already lost our starting quarterback. Jason Peters was out. Darren Sproles was out. And listen, we won, but it took everything we had to beat the Patriots.” He wasn’t wrong. The 2017 Eagles, powered by backup quarterback Nick Foles, had to claw through every round of the playoffs, ultimately outlasting the dynastic New England Patriots 41–33 in one of the most iconic Super Bowls in NFL history.
But then Kelce pointed to something the newer Eagles had done that even that legendary squad couldn’t touch. “You guys beat the team that’s been the best in the NFL for, what… seven years?” he asked, eyes narrowing. “Pat Mahomes has been in the Conference Championship every year of his career. And you guys… It wasn’t even close. So, watching how you guys ended the season, I don’t know how you could realistically think that we could beat you guys.” He was talking, of course, about Super Bowl LIX, held on February 9, 2025, when the Philadelphia Eagles blew out the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22, denying them a historic third straight Super Bowl title.
However, then came the punchline, the authentic, pure, vintage Kelce. Competition fueled his legendary career, something both Blankenship and DeJean got a glimpse of when Jason said, “But I’ll tell you this, just being a competitor, we’d beat the f*** out of you guys.” Blankenship burst out laughing. “I loved it. I was honestly waiting on you to say that.” And DeJean, a stone-cold baller already known for his game-breaking pick-six in the Super Bowl, smirked, “I was waiting for something.”
The debate wasn’t just for laughs. This was a clash of eras. The 2017 Eagles were the lovable underdogs, a team that lost a set of potential MVPs late in the season but still fought their way through the playoffs and shocked Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl. By contrast, the 2024 Eagles were a steamroller. Nick Sirianni’s squad finished the regular season 14-3, dominated the NFC playoffs, and then ended the Chiefs’ dynasty hopes in Las Vegas.
Their star QB, SB LIX MVP, Jalen Hurts ended the season with 2,903 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Plus, the 630 rushing yards, and the 14 rushing TDs are something to rely on! On the other side of the ball, rookie Cooper DeJean proved why he was one of the steals of the 2024 draft, racking up 51 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries. While the debate sparked plenty of laughs, it also led to a deeper appreciation for what both eras of Eagles football share: a defining moment of audacity that changed everything.
Jason Kelce talks about the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl win
That conversation inevitably circled back to the moment that set it all in motion: the Philly Special. “You had one of the most iconic plays in Philly sports history,” DeJean said with admiration. “The Philly Special.” Jason Kelce didn’t hesitate. He remembered it not as a pre-scripted plan, but as a moment of pure, fearless improvisation. “When Nick first came into the huddle and said, ‘Philly Special,’ I was like, ‘what the f***!’ I didn’t even remember that play being in for the Super Bowl.” The Philly Special, which saw quarterback Nick Foles catch a touchdown pass on 4th-and-goal, was drawn up more as a gimmick than a go-to. It had been run unsuccessfully against Atlanta weeks earlier. The odds of calling it again? Slim. But then came the timeout, a gutsy decision by head coach Doug Pederson, and the fateful suggestion from Foles.
But in that chaos, a strange clarity set in. Kelce said he suddenly felt it in his gut; it was going to work. He was right. The play immortalized in statues, documentaries, and barroom stories across Philly worked to perfection, giving the Eagles a crucial edge over Brady’s Patriots, and eventually their first Super Bowl title. Kelce revealed, “And then for whatever reason, it hit me. ‘This is f**** going to work.’ Because who the hell on fourth down and a yard in the Super Bowl. These guys are gonna be so aggressive trying to stop this play, they’re not gonna remember to cover Nick Foles.” Wide-eyed, Blankensip remarked, “That’s a ballsy call.” And Kelce grinned, “Very ballsy call. That was ‘big balls Doug’.”
From the bold trick plays that shocked the football world to the dominant, businesslike dismantling of the league’s modern dynasty, two generations of Philadelphia Eagles now sit with one common bond: they both reached the mountaintop and did it with their own brand of swagger. And as Jason Kelce so perfectly demonstrated, you can respect the new kings while still believing in your old war stories. That’s what makes Philly football eternal.
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