Philadelphia Eagles: Brent Celek deservedly gets to go out on top

After 11 seasons in midnight green, Brent Celek gets to join an exclusive club of Philly greats who played their entire career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Has there been a classier player to suit up for the Philadelphia Eagles over the last decade than Brent Celek?

A true personification of professionalism, not since the days of Chase Utley as Philly been treated with such a positive example of what it means to be a professional athlete, someone who not only brings it week in and week out on the field but also contributes positively in the community.

Well, after 11 seasons in midnight green, Celek gets to ride out into the sunset on top, finally bringing a Super Bowl championship trophy to his adoptive home.

In a public message shared on the official Philadelphia Eagles’ website, Celek formally announced his retirement from the NFL after failing to latch on with another team this offseason, and while it will surely feel weird not to see number 87 out there on game day, could even the great Steven Spielberg have written a better ending to his professional career?

I highly doubt it.

From entering the league as a young pass-catching tight end with an unruly fro to transitioning into one of the league’s veteran inline blockers after the emergence of Zach Ertz as his obvious heir, Celek never complained about his usage or number of catches, instead happily doing whatever he could to add another W to the wins column.

That’s what it takes to become a champion.

While he became less and less involved in the offense over the Chip Kelly and Doug Pederson-eras, Celek remained a consistent veteran presence on the roster and an invaluable teacher to players like Ertz and Trey Burton.

So, what’s next for arguably the greatest tight end in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles storied franchise, a player who will officially close out his career with the fourth most receiving yards of any player in franchise history?

Real Estate.

That’s right, besides his interest in restaurants, having owned the excellent Prime Stache on Chestnut Street for a few years, Celek has also taken an interest in the housing market and will begin selling real estate in the not too distant future.

A role I’m sure he will excel in.

So, as the Philadelphia Eagles prepare for the 2018 season, to finally defend the Lombardi Trophy they’ve been chasing after since its inception, it looks like the team will have one more fan in the stands of Lincoln Financial Field, cheering on his boys as they run out of the tunnel. Who knows, maybe his number will be hung in the rafters of the stadium next to the Super Bowl 53 banner he helped to win one day?