Jason Kelce officially hangs ’em up: Eagles All-Pro center retires after 13 seasons in NFL

Jason Kelce is officially calling it a career.

The six-time All-Pro Philadelphia Eagles center held a news conference Monday afternoon to announce his retirement, a move that has been expected since Philadelphia’s season ended in January.

The 36-year-old Kelce was sporting a cut-off black Eagles T-shirt, revealing his gold wedding band and watch on his left hand and wrist. After 13 seasons in the NFL, all with the Eagles, he leaves the league with a reputation for being dependable, accessible, consistent, and a brilliant player. Over the course of his final seven seasons, Kelce was nominated for six first-team All-Pro teams and was selected to seven Pro Bowls in his career, including the last five.

Fighting back tears, Kelce stated at his press conference on Monday, “I’ve been asked many times why did I choose football, what drew me to the game, and I’ve never had an answer that gets it right.” “The best way I can put it is this: what it makes you feel is what pulls you in to your favorite book or song. I never felt more alive and liberated than I did when I was stepping onto the field because of its earnestness and intensity.

Kelce was visibly upset on the sidelines during Philadelphia’s season-ending 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card stage of the playoffs, and he declined to speak with the media following the game.

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Numerous accounts state that following the wild-card loss, Kelce informed teammates in the locker room that it would be his final game as an NFL player.

In a social media post on Monday morning, Kelce hinted at the news by writing that there would be “no keg videos this year,” alluding to a post he made on the same platform the previous year in which he declared he would be joining the Eagles again after pouring himself a beer from a keg.

He shared early experiences that he said shaped him into the player and person he became with the Eagles, thanking scores of family members, coaches, and teammates—some of whom he had known since high school.

Kelce frequently had to interrupt his planned remarks to wipe away tears.

According to Kelce, “an NFL locker room is a truly remarkable melting pot of geographic location, economic background, race, body type, personality, and athletic traits.” Because we all realize that we are stronger together, we rely on one another, respect one another, and value our differences. I will always treasure our fraternity, the bonds it created, and the exceptional pleasure of sharing the field with you all. It will undoubtedly be difficult to recreate the atmosphere of working every day with a group of individuals who were motivated to be the best in the world at what they did.

Known for his outgoing personality, Kelce gained notoriety on social media during the playoffs after going to many Chiefs games to watch his brother, tight end Travis Kelce, play. Jason Kelce and Taylor Swift were sipping beers from a suite while Jason Kelce was shirtless during a divisional round game in Buffalo.

Jason Kelce described the divisional round match as “one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life” after it. from beginning to end.”

After being selected in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of Cincinnati, Kelce joined the Eagles right away and ended up playing in 193 games during his 13 seasons. One of the most well-liked players in Eagles history, Kelce is probably a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he exits the game.

Quarterback Josh Lambrecht referred to wide receiver Kevin Kelce as a “legend in the city, and really in this league” following the Eagles’ wild-card round loss to the Buccaneers.

In 2017, Kelce played a key role in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl run, helping the team win its lone championship with a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots. He made an effort to help the Eagles win another Lombardi Trophy, but their best chance to do so was in 2022, when they were defeated by the Chiefs.

Kelce said, “I look forward to the new challenges and opportunities that await. I don’t know what’s next.” And I’m aware that the lessons I picked up here are with me. They also last eternally. We will always be united by our shared identity as Philadelphians. All I have is that.