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Why the Eagles’ Jason Kelce dyed his hair platinum blond | Early Birds

Kelce was so convinced Zach Ertz would be moved by Week 1 that he bet the tight end: Trade or I go blond.

Eagles center Jason Kelce during practice Wednesday.
Eagles center Jason Kelce during practice Wednesday.Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

Good morning, Eagles fans. Happy Friday! For those of you eagerly awaiting the Eagles’ home opener against the San Francisco 49ers, I’m happy to tell you it’s roughly 50 hours away as of Friday morning.

The Eagles will have a short practice Friday afternoon, and Nick Sirianni, along with a few players, will speak with the media afterward.

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EJ Smith (earlybirds@inquirer.com)

Blond brothers

Jason Kelce doesn’t love the look of his freshly dyed platinum blond hair, but he’s glad he has it.

The Eagles’ veteran center, like most outside observers, was convinced Zach Ertz would be on a different team by the start of the season. So much so, he bet the veteran tight end midway through the offseason that he’d be traded before Week 1.

Ertz had just gone platinum blond himself at the time, and tried to convince Kelce that he’d stay an Eagle. Ertz challenged Kelce: If he stayed with the Eagles, Kelce had to dye his hair to match Ertz’s.

“It’s a bet I’m happy to lose,” Kelce said. “I’m not happy with the hair, but I’m happy I lost the bet.”

Kelce is now suspicious that Ertz knew he wasn’t getting traded when they made the bet, especially since they agreed to the wager after Ertz returned to the team facility to train.

“I firmly thought he was going to get traded,” Kelce said. “I think he might have known at that point, which is why I’m sitting here with this hair.”

Kelce said that his wife isn’t a fan of his new look and that it wouldn’t become a mainstay. He did say one thing would force him to keep it: a winning streak.

What you need to know about the Eagles

  1. Jeff McLane reviewed the film to explain why Javon Hargrave’s proving the Eagles front office right for signing him to a lucrative contract two off-seasons ago.

  2. Marcus Hayes has noticed Eagles fans resisting the urge to overreact after the win against the Falcons, but doesn’t think it’s necessary. The Eagles are for real, he writes.

  3. Jalen Hurts’ combination of passing and rushing yards in his first handful of starts puts him in some limited, elite company. David Murphy draws a few comparisons with the data.

  4. Landon Dickerson’s long road back from a torn ACL seems to have reached its final checkpoint. As yours truly reports, the rookie lineman was a full participant in practice Wednesday.

  5. Need some fantasy advice? KC Joyner examines Miles Sanders’ stock after Week 1 along with the Eagles’ run defense matching up with the 49ers.