Eagles center Jason Kelce officially announces retirement after 13 seasons
Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce held a press conference on Monday afternoon to officially announce his plan to retire after 13 seasons in the NFL. The lineman hosted the press conference at the Eagles facility with friends, family, coaches and teammates in attendance.
Kelce put together a decorated career for the Eagles after they selected him in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of Cincinnati. He became a six-time All-Pro selection and a seven-time Pro Bowler as a key part of the Philadelphia offensive line and he seemed to get better and better with age.
Joining the Eagles’ offensive line as a rookie pushing an incumbent starter, Kelce won the job during his first preseason. He went on to become the first rookie in Eagles history to start all 16 games at center. Partial MCL and ACL tears in 2012 knocked him out for most of his second year but he returned to start all 16 games in 2013.
After earning All-Pro First Team honors in 2017, Kelce helped the Eagles clinch a victory in Super Bowl LII, defeating the New England Patriots 41–33. It took several seasons but he made it back to the Super Bowl with Philadelphia in 2022, but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, and his brother Travis. He toyed with retirement after that loss but opted to return for another chance at the Lombardi Trophy in 2023.
Kelce’s career earnings over 13 seasons in the league top $81.7 million, according to Spotrac. His $14.25 million salary in 2023 made him the highest-paid center in the NFL last season.
Jason Kelce has multiple options for post-playing career
When the Eagles finished their season, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Kelce would be retiring, however, the lineman said he would be waiting to make a decision and an official announcement. After that, he became the life of the party at Kansas City Chiefs games while watching his brother win another Super Bowl. The long-time starting center also told reporters that no matter what, he wants to remain involved with the Eagles moving forward.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen for me, but I do know I still want to be involved in the organization and still want to be a part of it…, ” Kelce told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Because I don’t want to ever feel like I’m on the outside looking in on these achievements and these accolades and these opportunities that largely represent entire cities and fan bases and organizations.”
After the Super Bowl, reports surfaced that Kelce could be laying the groundwork for his next career. He met with two networks in Las Vegas about a possible TV career, Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy reported.
Kelce spoke with ESPN and FOX about potential opportunities, and he could also get meetings with CBS, NBC and Amazon as he weighs his options.
Another business venture for Kelce could be in the video game space. Speaking on his New Heights podcast alongside his brother, he said he’s been working up a plan to bring back the “Backyard Football” and “Backyard Baseball” video games.