Eagles buy into Kelly's culture

MYCHAL KENDRICKS, Darren Sproles, Jason Kelce and Chris Polk all practiced for the Eagles yesterday.

Of course they did.

Consider it a triumph of culture.

Like no other sport, vetted football veterans tend to lean toward gradual reinsertion with an eye toward good health down the road. Not all of the aforementioned are vetted veterans - Kendricks and Polk are playing for longevity and a big payday - but the absence of apathy is remarkable.

Nobody's milking their money.

Nobody on this team is a dog.

"I've seen [dogs] before," said Sproles, a third-down back who now has played for three teams in his nine NFL seasons. "We don't have those types of guys in here."

They used to.

Sproles practiced fully yesterday after leaving the game Oct. 12 against the Giants with a sprained knee. He was able to rest and rehab last week, since the Eagles had a bye. Still, it appeared that Sproles would miss at least one game.

Nope.

Consider the seamless return of those players from injury a result of the atmosphere Chip Kelly created when he was hired 21 months ago. The tenets of Kelly's message sound irretrievably corny: Be better today than yesterday; It's a 1-week season; Be accountable to your teammates.

Repeatedly (and perhaps inappropriately) the Eagles cite the Navy SEALs as examples after which they model themselves.

Leave no man behind . . . and return to service as soon as possible.

"Part of it's the culture Chip instills every day, and part of it is Chip and the front office making sure we have the right guys in the locker room. It's been one of the front office's MOs since the 'Dream Team' era," said Kelce, who had sports hernia surgery a month ago.

Kelce was a rookie center on the disappointing "Dream Team" in 2011 that included Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Vince Young and Jason Babin, among others.

"The leadership of the guys in this locker room pushes guys that much harder," Kelce said. "Nobody's trying to hold back or milk things."

Left guard Evan Mathis, sidelined with a knee injury, said on radio Monday that he is fine and that Kelce was ahead of schedule, and might return as soon as Nov. 2.

"I really wish he hadn't said that," Kelce said.

Mathis, on temporary injured reserve, cannot come back until Nov. 10, which, really, is when Kelce sees himself returning. Kelce essentially watched practice in helmet yesterday. He still cannot function without discomfort and tightness in his lower abdomen and groin.

"It's really when I elongate my stance and stretch the groin muscle is when I feel it. It's not 100 percent," said Kelce, who understands it probably won't reach that point until the offseason. "It's just got to be where the doctors are comfortable that there won't be a setback."

A setback would mean as much as an extra month on the shelf.

As it stands, Kelce easily could cruise into mid-November as the soft tissue in his lower abdomen mends itself. Muscle tears are painful; and, worse, their healing tracks are cursedly difficult to gauge. He is still 5 pounds below his playing weight of 290.

Kelce isn't worried about regaining weight or reinjuring himself.

He's worried about earning the 6-year, $37.5 million extension he signed in February, which included $13 million in guaranteed cash. He is worth that much because he not only is an exceptionally athletic center but also because he helps coordinate a second-year offense being run by an inconsistent, second-year starting quarterback.

Similarly, Sproles could milk his knee injury for weeks. He's 31, in his ninth season and unlikely to see another deal close to the 3-year, $10.5 million extension the Eagles gave him after they traded for him in March. He is guaranteed $5.5 million of that money, which, essentially, ensured his employment for the 2014 and '15 seasons. He could make $3.5 million in 2016, and will be 34 entering the 2017 season.

He was running full-speed yesterday afternoon. Why not take it easy?

"Huh?" Sproles asked.

He could not conceive of that.

None of the returnees is more eager to play than Kendricks, a third-year inside linebacker who showed signs of a breakout season before he injured his calf in Game 2.

He was not available to speak to the media yesterday, but Monday he posted an illuminative open letter on his website. Always cerebral, the Berkeley product acknowledged in his post his frustration with being hurt and his growth during the period that has elapsed; how he shifted toward an organic diet and became a more devout student of the game.

The Eagles never called Kendricks' injury more than a strain, but it clearly was a fairly serious tear. The Eagles have used a three-man replacement rotation in Kendricks' absence, which did little more than underscore his importance to the team.

He recognizes his importance, too.

So does Chris Polk, a third-year back who has returned a kickoff for a touchdiown this season. He is a tantalizing back, with size and speed. He twice has missed a game with hamstring injuries; each time, he came back quickly.

Of course.

"You have to be smart about it, but there is a mentality about it: You come out here every day possible, and you train," said veteran linebacker Connor Barwin.

This bunch does.

Right guard Todd Herremans, an Eagle since 2005, has seen other Birds who do not.

"The reason they bring these guys in is not just because they're good athletes," Herremans said. "It's because of the mindset they have, the way they do things; their work ethic."

They fit the culture.

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