Getty Jason Kelce has been to three Pro Bowls and qualified for three straight All-Pro teams. He is one of the best centers in the NFL.
The annual “Jason Kelce Retirement Watch” began in earnest on January 16. You could hear a pin drop as he made the long walk into the visitor’s locker room in Tampa Bay, with everyone wondering if he had played his final game in a Philadelphia Eagles’ uniform.
Kelce never addressed the media, but it’s fair to ponder his future. He has mentioned retirement dating back to 2019, citing the brutal wear and tear on his aging body. The birth of his second child — a daughter named Elliotte Ray — in March 2021 should factor into that decision, too. While the 34-year-old hasn’t commented on his future plans, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni wanted to get ahead of it. He made Kelce an offer he couldn’t refuse, in the form of two kegs of beer.
“I sent him two kegs of beer yesterday,” Sirianni told SportsRadio 94WIP’s Angelo Cataldi. “You know what, he’s awesome and I’ve told him how much we want him back. He’s an unbelievable leader. Everything you hear about — if you don’t know Jason Kelce personally — everything you hear about him is as advertised.”
Will this be the last time we see Jason Kelce in an @NFL uniform? I sure hope not
Sirianni went on to call Kelce the “backbone of this team” and promised to lobby for him to return “every single day.” The Coach of the Year candidate even joked with him about playing another five years.
“I think in the middle of the year I said, ‘You got five more years in you?’ We laughed about it,” Sirianni said. “Ultimately, Jason has to do what’s best for himself and what is best for his family. We would love the opportunity to have Jason Kelce back on this football to lead the way again.”
Jason Kelce says when he retires, he will not do a “surprise retirement.” He vowed to do it before free agency begins so that the #Eagles will have time to prepare for the future of the Center position.
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Kelce Would Never ‘Spring’ Retirement on Anyone
When Kelce retirement rumors were running rampant last March, he took to Instagram to have some fun with it. He announced that he was indeed retiring — from arm wrestling, a reference to his bar-room battle with a random fan from Delco.
Then he promised everyone that his actual retirement announcement would be a very “loud and emphatic” statement. Don’t be surprised if he does it at the Ocean Drive in Sea Isle City, New Jersey.
“I can’t say this enough. When I have decided to retire, you guys will know and it will be a very loud and emphatic statement,” Kelce said last April. “And it’s going to be made most likely, barring some kind of physical ailment that comes up during the season or something like that, the retirement announcement is going to happen before training camp, before free agency, before the draft.”
Howie Roseman Thanks Eagles Fans
Howie Roseman closed his end-of-year press conference by taking a minute to thank the most important people listening: Philadelphia Eagles fans.
Without them, there would be no home-field advantage and no reason to go all-in on winning championships. The fans make everything worthwhile, especially during a global pandemic.
“I just wanted one, to thank our fans. We know it’s still not totally normal out there,” Roseman said. “But the support we had having fans back was outstanding. It was a lot of fun to be in our stadium, and hopefully, we continue to play well and win home games.”