Jason Kelce emotional after Eagles' Wild Card loss to Buccaneers, sparks retirement speculation
Emotions overcame Eagles center Jason Kelce as the final seconds ticked off the clock in Monday’s Wild Card loss to Tampa Bay. As Kelce appeared to shed a few tears as he watched the season come to a close, many began to speculate on his potential retirement.
Kelce embraced Philadelphia offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland as he took off his helmet and prepared to walk off the field for potentially the final time. If it is indeed his final season, it would mark the end of a 13-year NFL career, all of which came with the Eagles.
You can view the moment below.
The Buccaneers scored 13 unanswered points to start the game and never trailed in an eventual 32-9 victory. It marked another disappointing for last year’s runner-up Eagles, who dropped six of their final seven games after starting off the year 10-1.
Philadelphia’s offense was unable to string together much momentum as it finished with only 42 yards rushing and failed to convert any of its nine third down attempts. The Eagles also turned it over on downs twice and were sacked three times. Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield torched the secondary for 337 yards and three touchdowns in the win for Tampa Bay.
It’s a sad way to go out for one of the most recognizable players from his era, but Kelce still has plenty to be proud of if this is indeed the end of his career. For now, nothing is official, so we’ll continue to await word from the man himself.
More on the career of Jason Kelce
Kelce played college football at Cincinnati, where he walked on in the 2007 season. He originally began as a running back before moving to fullback and then later offensive line. He became a starter over the next three seasons and even earned All-American Honorable Mention as a senior.
The Eagles then selected Kelce in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He immediately made an impact as a rookie to start all 16 games at center. That would become his regular role over the next 13 seasons as he has started all 193 games throughout his career.
Kelce went on to win a Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2017 and made another appearance in the big game in 2022. He was named a Pro Bowler seven times throughout his career as well as earning All-Pro honors in five seasons.
No matter what his future hold, he’s clearly established himself as a legendary Eagles player.