After 13 brilliant seasons in the NFL, legendary Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce is set to call time on his playing career at the age of 36.
Is Jason Kelce Retiring
Kelce, who has spent his entire career with the Philadelphia Eagles – winning a Super Bowl in 2018 along the way – is regarded as one of the best centers in NFL history.
He was named to the Pro Bowl on seven occasions and made first-team All-Pro six times. Following Philadelphia’s Wild Card defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kelce left the locker room without speaking to the media.
The 36-year-old was spotted in tears on the sideline as the clock winded down in Florida, confirming the Eagles’ exit from the postseason in a disappointing campaign which saw the team fail to build on a Super Bowl appearance last year.
Jason Kelce in tears after what may have been his last game in the NFL
pic.twitter.com/QQK39bSJEO
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 16, 2024
Star quarterback Jalen Hurts told the media Jason is a “legend” who will “forever have a special place in my heart,” after the pair built up an impressive level of chemistry since Hurts took the starting job in 2021.
Whilst nothing has been confirmed by the man himself, we can safely assume Kelce has put on an NFL uniform for the final time as the final chapter of a glistening career in the league comes to an emotional finish.
ESPN’s senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Kelce told his Eagles teammates he was in fact retiring following the team’s loss in Tampa.
Six-time All-Pro and future Hall-of-Fame center Jason Kelce told his Eagles’ teammates in Monday night’s postgame locker room that he is in fact retiring, per league sources.
The 36-year-old Kelce became visibly emotional at the end of the Eagles’ 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers. He… pic.twitter.com/GofAAlFtUd
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 16, 2024
Is Jason Kelce The Greatest NFL Center Of All-Time
It depends who you ask, but plenty would argue that no one did it better than Kelce. He started 193/193 career games, captained the Eagles for six seasons and picked up a bunch of accolades on the way.
There’s no doubt Kelce will be inducted into the Hall of Fame once his playing career comes to an official end, paving the way for him to presumably continue his venture in the sports media world alongside his brother.
Kelce and his younger sibling Travis, also widely regarded as one of the greatest tight ends to ever play the game with two Super Bowl rings, host a weekly podcast called ‘New Heights.’