Beyond the grind of NFL Sundays, football players also chase the adrenaline rush in other contact sports like boxing and mixed martial arts. The Philadelphia Eagles center Cam Jurgens seemingly enjoys demanding physical aspects of the fighting game, revealing just what he loves about Bare Knuckle Fighting.

“That (attending Bare Knuckle Fighting) is probably the most fun I’ve had,” said the Nebraska native on the latest edition of the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “Being close to a ring and you hear somebody’s jaw get broken. It’s just the most intense thing of all time. And you just leave there and you just juice for like for hours.”

Cam Jurgens revealed that he attended the promotion’s show when it was held in his home state. He got so engrossed in that type of fighting that he also attended their show in Philadelphia, where the promotion also hosted a pay-per-view.

Besides BKFC, the Eagles star also talked about UFC. However, the lengthy waiting time in between fights is seemingly a downside for him. While both organizations are gruesome and physically demanding, they have a slight difference.

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Based in Philadelphia, BKFC is not a mixed martial arts promotion. It’s more of a boxing match, but with bare knuckles, which makes it extremely dangerous, and as Jurgens stated, it’s a regular occurrence when the fighters end up with broken jaws.

Since its inception in 2018, it has reached widespread popularity across the country because of its hard-hitting style. The former UFC champion and MMA legend Conor McGregor became the partial owner of the promotion, which helped it expand in the past couple of years.

Meanwhile, the center isn’t the only NFL star who has a genuine love for the promotion. The Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher, Maxx Crosby, joined hands with McGregor to become a part-owner of the BKFC, while the former Dallas Cowboys defensive end, Greg Hardy, who pursued professional fighting after NFL retirement, fought in the promotion in 2023, losing within round 2.

While fighting remains Jurgens’ obsession, football has always been his first love, but it could have ended following a serious injury while playing for the Eagles.

A career-threatening back injury puts Cam Jurgens’ future in doubt

After arriving at the Eagles, Cam Jurgens didn’t have much opportunity in his rookie season with Jason Kelce remaining at their starting center. But it changed in the 2023 season when he started playing as Jason’s replacement.

After Jason’s retirement in 2023, Jurgens became the reliable starter of the franchise, winning the Super Bowl in the 2024 season, but it came at a cost. He was reportedly carrying a back injury, playing with it in the postseason as well as the Super Bowl. However, the injury was so severe on his body that he contemplated retirement after playing just a few seasons.

“It would just be nice to get through a few contracts,” Cam Jurgens said during the same Podcast. “We’ll figure it out year by year. Right now, I’m playing, and I’m going to play as long as I can.”

Despite the necessary rehabilitation, he still played with the back injury in the previous campaign, failing to give it all. Last month, he took a stem cell treatment, and the recovery has been promising. By the start of the next season, he would be determined to have no back pain, which would allow him to sustain a lengthy career.