JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Fans React Emotionally to Jason Kelce’s Retirement After 13-Year Eagles Career
Jason Kelce's announcement of retirement after 13 years with the Eagles has fans sharing heartfelt messages. Explore their emotional responses. Read more!
Jason Kelce, the seasoned Eagles center, has decided to end his 13-season-long NFL career, primarily spent in Philadelphia. He made this announcement in a heartfelt press conference on Monday.
The 36-year-old, earlier on Monday, informed about his resolution to retire through a post on the X platform. He stated, “No Keg videos this year; I have come to a decision and will address it at a press conference this afternoon.”
He drew reference to his video of March 2022, wherein he had announced his return to the Eagles for one more year, beginning with pouring himself a beer from a keg.
Jason, a sixth-round choice chosen overall at 191 by the Eagles from the 2011 NFL Draft from Cincinnati, has tallied six All-Pro selections and has to his credit seven Pro Bowls.
Fans were also emotional after this announcement; some of these reactions are as follows.
In 2018, he was part of the Eagles' Super Bowl LII victory and aided Philadelphia in reaching the Super Bowl in February 2023.
Here, he contended with Travis and the Chiefs, experiencing a close loss of 38-35 in Glendale, Arizona.
Jason, with 157 consecutive commencement of play, hasn't missed a single game since 2014, thereby holding the franchise record.
Before making the retirement announcement public, Jason spent quality time with his younger brother, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, in Philadelphia. Jason is a father to three.
Jason Kelce's Journey: From Underrated Beginnings to Legendary Retirement
Over the past few years, Kelce had considered retirement repeatedly. However, after the wild card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January, he finally informed his teammates about his decision to retire – a fact reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter. This created the impression that things were taking a final turn.
Right tackle Lane Johnson reminisced, "If that was his last match, then he was among the most exceptional team members I've ever partnered with. His unmatched vigor and passion, even when almost being chased out of town by Philly, molded him into arguably the greatest center to ever play."
Kelce stands tall among five centers in NFL history to have secured at least six All-Pro nominations.
The other four members are – Jim Otto, Bulldog Turner, Dermontti Dawson, and Jim Ringo, all of whom are esteemed inductees of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Kelce's entry in 2011 was relatively low-key; he was chosen in the sixth round of the draft. Initially just a walk-on running back at Cincinnati, he transformed himself into a guard before finally stepping into the role of a center.
Despite his underdog stature and being outshone by the 'Dream Team's' high-profile signings like quarterback Vince Young and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, Kelce succeeded in securing a straight spot in the team.
On his journey, he witnessed transitions in head coach positions from Andy Reid to Chip Kelly to Doug Pederson to Nick Sirianni, but his spot remained constant. Kelce faced adversity in 2014, requiring sports hernia surgery, which kept him off the field for a month.
His underwhelming performance the following year brought up queries about his position in Philadelphia.
Overcoming all that, he set a franchise record by starting 156 continuous regular-season games regardless of the plethora of injuries he faced.
Latest Articles
