In an emotional press conference that marked the end of an era for the Philadelphia Eagles, All Pro center Jason Kelce announced his retirement from the NFL.
While the decision was expected, saying goodbye to a player and person as important and impactful as Kelce will certainly not be easy for the Eagles.
Kelce spent his entire 13-year career in Philadelphia and will surely be a Hall of Famer as soon as he is eligible.
The greatest to ever do it 🐐
Congratulations on an incredible NFL career, Jason Kelce. pic.twitter.com/HNRn5etpna
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 4, 2024
Kelce, a cornerstone of the Eagles success during his tenure in Philly, walks away from the sport at the top of his game.
As expected, Kelce’s farewell press conference was extremely emotional.
An all-time great giving an all-time great retirement speech. @JasonKelce, forever a legend. pic.twitter.com/8jNXEcrizp
— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2024
Drafted in the sixth round in 2011, Kelce defied expectations and carved out a legacy as one of the NFL’s premier offensive linemen.
His accolades speak volumes, with seven Pro Bowl selections and six first-team All-Pro honors, including his most recent nod this past season.
Jason Kelce talking about losing to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl and his relationship with Travis. The amount of respect I have for this man… wow I wasn’t planning on crying this morning but here we are. Congratulations on all of your success, Jason Kelce. pic.twitter.com/DN564LF7iX
— Lexi (@lexiosborne) March 4, 2024
Speaking of Kelce’s impact, teammate Lane Johnson praised his unparalleled passion, resilience and leadership shortly following the Eagles disappointing blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“If it was his last game, he was one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” Johnson said. “A guy whose passion is unmatched. A guy who I saw Philly try to run him out of town. I saw a guy emerge from that and become the best center maybe that’s ever played.”
Baker mayfield ended his career 😭😭
— Sportz (@SportzGG) March 4, 2024
Kelce has carved out quite a legacy. He stands as the only center since the 1970 merger to achieve both a Super Bowl victory and six first-team All-Pro selections.
His durability and consistency set him apart from many others in the league. He set a franchise record with 156 consecutive regular-season starts – and it truly seemed like he was getting better and better with age.
The story behind Andy Reid drafting both Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce:
Travis Kelce was the 63rd overall pick (3rd round) in the 2013 draft.
There were 4 Tight Ends drafted before him:
Tyler Eifert, Zach Ertz, Gavin Escobar, and Vance McDonald.
Andy Reid says Travis Kelce was… pic.twitter.com/sp25UPIc5L
— Cooper McCoy (@CooperMcCoyRE) February 16, 2024
Looking ahead, the Eagles have a succession plan in place with Cam Jurgens, drafted in 2022, poised to fill Kelce’s enormous shoes.
Calling it selfish to be upset when you lose the Super Bowl shows you the man Jason Kelce is. All the best in retirement🫡
— Third man🏏 (@bilal_kashaff) March 4, 2024
Life after (playing) football promises to be quite busy for Kelce. He seems like a perfect fit for the media world and will surely be in high demand among the networks.
Time will tell where exactly he ends up and what projects he lines up for himself.
The Greatest Eagle of all time 🙌💯🙌❤️
— TheDale (@THEDALE_) March 4, 2024
For Kelce, it’s quite a shame that the 2023 season played out the way it did for the Eagles. After all, you can’t possibly have a worse final game than that loss to Tampa.
However, Kelce’s career and legacy will always speak for itself.
Jason Kelce’s Super Bowl Parade speech will never fail to make me want to run through a wall and yell “HELL YEAH”
LEGENDARY! pic.twitter.com/vRDu8K3seF
— Philly Sports Sufferer (@mccrystal_alex) March 4, 2024
What are your thoughts on Kelce’s decision to retire?
Is he the greatest center in NFL history???
This is on Siranni and the team giving up last year under him.
— What If It Ends (@WhatIfItEnds) March 4, 2024