Jason Kelce, legendary Philadelphia Eagles center, announces retirement from NFL
Longtime Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce has retired.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Kelce told teammates of his decision in the postgame locker room following Monday night’s disappointing 32-9 loss at Tampa Bay in the NFC Wild Card Playoff round.
Kelce played his entire career in Philadelphia, getting drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round with the 191st overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft after playing college ball at Cincinnati from 2006 to 2010.
He finishes his NFL career as a six-time All-Pro selection in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively. Kelce has also earned Pro Bowl honors on seven occasions including every year for the last five seasons. Before the pros, he earned two second-team All-Big East in 2009 and 2010, respectively, with Cincinnati.
He played 194 games during his illustrious career, and finished his tenure in the league as a Super Bowl champion, claiming Super Bowl LII in 2018 with the Eagles under the guide of backup quarterback Nick Foles.
Outside of football, Kelce has become a bit of a media phenomenon– an area where his personality is sure to flourish. He hosts the ‘New Heights’ podcast with his brother, Travis, which focuses on football, among other topics.
Believe it or not, Jason Kelce was a walk-on running back for the Bearcats when he joined the team in 2006. A switch to fullback and then another to center — Kelce got to experience every bit of the I-formation while in school. That is, if he played. Kelce redshirted that season and didn’t play until 2007, where he split time between center and guard. He played guard full-time until 2010 when he was slotted at center.
Kelce burst onto the scene at the NFL Combine with the fastest-ever 40-yard dash time for an offensive lineman at 4.89 seconds. After the Eagles took a chance on him as well as a strong showing in the preseason — Kelce was named starter as a rookie and never looked back.
By the time his rookie deal was up in 2014, Kelce — who eventually signed a $37.5 million contract extension with Philadelphia that same year — proved why he was worth the money after being named to his first Pro Bowl despite missing four games with a hernia.
When the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018, Kelce was rated as the NFL’s No. 1 offensive lineman, according to PFF, and was named an NFL First-Team All-Pro. Two years later, he started his 100th consecutive game for the Eagles under center.
By last season, Kelce had mulled retirement a time or two and used that as leverage to sign a one-year, $14 million contract to make him the highest-paid OL in the league. He went on to make the NFL’s first team and earn another Pro Bowl — and helped lead his team to a Super Bowl appearance but ultimately lost to his brother and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Even this past season, he wasn’t flagged a single time for holding and was still one of the league’s most reliable snappers at age 36. Now, he rides off into retirement at the top of his game, and the world in his hands.