Eagles’ Jason Kelce reportedly retiring from NFL after 13 seasons

National Football League

Published Jan. 16, 2024 10:25 a.m. ET

Jason Kelce, the longtime Philadelphia Eagles center who was one of the NFL’s best offensive linemen on the field and most popular off it, has informed teammates he’s retiring, ESPN reported.

The 36-year-old Kelce spent his entire 13-year career in Philadelphia after the Eagles selected him in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and was a starter on the 2017 team that unexpectedly won the Super Bowl behind backup quarterback Nick Foles.

Kelce has started in every Eagles game over the past nine seasons, including all 12 playoff games. The six-time Pro Bowler earned first-team All-Pro honors in six of the past seven seasons, as he is widely credited not just for his blocking ability but reading defenses and adjusting blocking schemes before snapping the ball.

Kelce, a longtime fan-favorite in Philadelphia, has also gained broader fame in recent years for Christmas song albums he released alongside fellow Eagles offensive linemen Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, as well as a popular podcast he co-hosts with his younger brother, superstar Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Jason and Travis became the first pair of brothers to play against each other in a Super Bowl this past year, which Travis’s Chiefs won 38-35 over the Eagles.

Jason Kelce flirted with retirement in 2022, but ultimately decided to return for another year after the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss. He reportedly told teammates of his decision Monday night in the locker room following the Eagles’ 32-9 loss in the wild-card round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kelce was seen getting emotional while exiting that game and embracing teammates, opponents, Eagles staffers and his wife Kylie in the stands.

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