Eagles’ Brent Celek is selfless, an unsung hero for 5-1 Birds

Brent Celek had a 42-yard catch against the Redskins on Sunday.
Credit: Getty Images

Contributions from Eagles’ tight end Brent Celek aren’t easy to find on the stat sheet.

The 10 catches for 75 yards he has this season help, but as the honorary sixth member of the Eagles offensive line, one that generated over 200 rushing yards against the Giants last Sunday and protected Nick Foles, his value can’t be overstated.

“Brent Celek did an unbelievable job blocking all night,” fellow tight end Zach Ertz said. “He is probably the best blocking tight end in the league.”

But it’s not just blocking either that makes him an unsung Eagle. It’s the way he plays, and the way he sacrifices for his teammates every week.

“He’s the ultimate,” Chip Kelly said. “You go back to the Detroit game a year ago when we’re finishing the game off and he catches the ball in the open field instead of running it into the end zone, and then we have a kickoff and our defense has to go back on the field, he hook slides and gives up an opportunity to get a touchdown so we can just take a victory and get off the field. I think he’s awesome. I love the way he approaches everything.”

On a young team still searching for offensive leadership, he is a great teammate for Nick Foles, who also leads by example and for the offensive line, which has been battling through injury problems all year long.

He isn’t the first tight end option for Foles — that would be Ertz. But it doesn’t matter. What matters is winning and winning the right way.

“He’s everything you want,” Kelly said. “He’s totally selfless. He’s exactly what you want. When you talk about what a Philadelphia Eagle looks like, Brent Celek is what a Philadelphia Eagle looks like.”