On Wednesday, the Eagles wore full pads for the first time in weeks. The practice wasn’t particularly long – one hour and 24 minutes – but for the first week of January its intensity was beyond the norm.
“We haven’t had one like that since training camp,” Eagles center Jason Kelce said not long afterward. “On the verge of too intense, to tell you the truth.”
There weren’t any fights, per Kelce, but the hitting led to several fallen players and the increased potential for injury. Luckily for the Eagles, they didn’t suffer any setbacks. But the reward outweighed the risks, according to the players, who lobbied to practice in pads.