Getty Jason Kelce is the Eagles' 2021 nominee for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
Jason Kelce finally answered the questions about his impending retirement in the most hilariously absurd way possible. The All-Pro center placed a plastic Solo cup in front of a keg – the one presumably sent to him by Nick Sirianni – and let the suds froth around his impressive beard.
Kelce wiped the foam off his mouth and declared he was indeed retiring … from being a radio host. The 34-year-old served as a guest disc jockey on SportsRadio 94WIP on Wednesday and fielded call after call about his future, including one from “Nick from South Philly.” One day later, Kelce cleared up the confusion.
“I got a lot of questions on the air yesterday about my future,” Kelce said, “so I decided I would clear it up right now; unfortunately, I’ve decided to announce that I am retiring … from hosting WIP. I’m definitely not retiring from playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. I’m having way too much fun doing that. Looking forward to another year, Philadelphia. To all my teammates, let’s go dominate.”
That’s right. Kelce will be returning for his 12th NFL season following another Pro Bowl and All-Pro season in 2021. He hasn’t lost a step and looks forward to molding his eventual replacement. That could be Landon Dickerson or Nate Herbig. Or maybe the Eagles use a first-round pick on former Iowa center Tyler Lindenbaum.
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Kelce: ‘I’m Playing Until I’m Not’
Kelce’s surprise announcement on Thursday only confirmed what he had been hinting at in recent weeks. The 2011 sixth-rounder let it be known that he was leaning toward coming back for the 2022 campaign during Super Bowl weekend. He also touched on the subject while he was guest hosting on SportsRadio 94WIP.
“Fair question. I’ll answer it like this. I’ve answered it like this in the past,” Kelce said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I’m playing until I’m not. I’m an active player for the Philadelphia Eagles right now. I love my teammates, I love playing in the city. When it’s time to step away, I’ll make that abundantly clear.”
He’s not done yet.
C Jason Kelce is returning to the Eagles for the 2022 season.
Sirianni will certainly be able to sleep better at night knowing Kelce is calling out the protections. He talked all year about how much he valued his center’s leadership and toughness.
“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Sirianni said on December 1. “Not only do I think he’s one of the best offensive linemen that I’ve ever been around – and I’ve been around some good offensive linemen – I also think he’s the toughest guy I’ve ever been around.”
Eagles Twitter Reacts to Best News Ever
There is no player on the Eagles’ roster who better personifies the city’s grit. He’s the living embodiment of blue collar, a guy who understood Philly from the jump and defends its honor at all costs. Kelce should be on the Mount Rushmore of Philadelphia sports legends when all is said and done.
Eagles fans were ecstatic to hear that he was returning in 2022 and flocked to social media to toast the news. Ditto for several teammates, including Shaun Bradley and Lane Johnson.
