Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce has finally called it a wrap on his NFL career, making his retirement official and doing so on his terms and with a wealth of emotion, rather than running with an unfortunately rushed social media post from Adam Schefter back in mid-January that made reference to some postgame locker room chatter about retiring.
The 36-year-old will be walking away from the game he so passionately loves with much accomplished over the course of 13 NFL seasons, all of which were spent in Philadelphia.
Nobody cares more about this game than @JasonKelce. ??? pic.twitter.com/FEnllKeDtR
— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2024
Kelce was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a six-time First-team All-Pro, and will more than likely be a first ballot Hall of Famer. The craziest part about Kelce's legendary run with the Eagles is that all of this came from a former walk-on linebacker at the University of Cincinnati who turned into a sixth-round pick by Philadelphia in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Just an unbelievable underdog story and we're pretty sure plays like this will greatly support his Hall of Fame case once it comes time for his eligibility in Canton:
Jason Kelce really shoved dude 10 yards downfield with one arm. #54 gotta hang up the cleats after that. pic.twitter.com/5jOV9A1sQm
— Victor Williams (@ThePhillyPod) April 16, 2020
The widely beloved lineman also appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one in an epic clash against Tom Brady's Patriots in Super Bowl LII that led to one of the greatest victory parade speeches in recent memory:
One of the best Parts of the #Eagles Super Bowl Parade. Jason Kelce speech. pic.twitter.com/EaHs9sEiqI
— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) February 9, 2022
Yes, Kelce was and is special. That expletive-filled Super Bowl victory rant while clad in a bedazzled, impossible-to-forget green and purple Mummers costume felt like we were all witnessing one of the greatest wrestling promos ever televised.
Moments like the speech he gave makes it hardly surprising that his "New Heights" podcast with brother Travis has become a smash hit that brings the laughs on a regular basis. It's also not shocking that major players like ESPN and Fox Sports have reportedly already been vying for his charismatic services in some capacity.
So the future is beyond bright for the now-former NFL offensive lineman that People Magazine had selected as a finalist to be named this year's "Sexiest Man Alive."
Considering Kelce's last game was a ruthlessly deflating 32-9 thrashing at the hands of the Buccaneers — a crushing loss that showed an emotional Kelce tearing up on the sideline — it makes perfect sense that it took the guy close to two months to make up his mind after such a draining season.
Jason Kelce in tears after what may have been his last game in the NFL
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 16, 2024
It's not clear how the Eagles will figure out how to replace the irreplaceable, because Jason Kelce was also the heart and soul behind the art of the "tush push," acting as a quarterback of sorts, as he would direct traffic for the rest of the line offensive line as well as extra blockers brought in that routinely allowed Jalen Hurts to get first downs and touchdowns in frequent short-yardage situations.
For the time being, though, Eagles fans can take some proper pause to celebrate and cherish 13 memorable seasons of legendary leadership from Kelce. And really, how can they not?
Jason Kelce is enjoying himself at the Eagles' Super Bowl parade. pic.twitter.com/CaREx3qSve
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 8, 2018
Congratulations to Jason Kelce on what was an incredible NFL career, and an extremely inspiring one at that.
