Month: March 2024

Jason Kelce has announced his retirement from football in an emotional press conference.

The Philadelphia Eagles legend burst into tears before he even started speaking and then finally ended months of speculation as he ended his career on Monday after 13 years in the NFL.

Kelce announced the decision with his brother Travis, wife Kylie and parents Ed and Donna in attendance at the Eagles’ team facility.

Speculation first emerged that Kelce would hang up his cleats when the Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January.

However, he refused to announce a definitive decision on his future in the weeks that followed, instead supporting brother Travis throughout the postseason as the Kansas City Chiefs eventually won the Super Bowl.

Kelce came close to retiring this time last year but decided to stay on for another season after struggling to walk away – a process that was captured on film in his hit Amazon Prime documentary.

Kelce was drafted by the Eagles in 2011 and has enjoyed a sensational 13-year career in Philadelphia.

A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, the center won the Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2018 when they beat the New England Patriots in Minnesota.

The center, who hosts the ultra-successful ‘New Heights’ podcast with his brother Travis and filled in on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football broadcast during his bye week this season, looks destined for a career in broadcasting if he wants it.

He’s already met with executives from Fox and ESPN, according to Front Office Sports, as he used Super Bowl week in Las Vegas to ‘make the rounds’ with networks.

The Sun also reported that there was already a ‘scramble’ among several broadcasters to win Kelce’s services – and that he could make up to $5million per year for his football analysis.

Despite the lucrative offers seemingly waiting for Kelce, he recently admitted to being anxious about what life after football might look like.

‘It’s exciting to think about possibilities, it’s exciting to be able to lose weight, feel good and not have to physically fight for my life every day,’ Kelce, 36, said. ‘It’s also daunting. It’s anxiety. At the end of the day, it’s the unknown.

‘People ask if you get nervous for games but the only games I get nervous for are the first time – you don’t know what is in store. Ironically it makes you play better, it makes your senses alive. But that is kind of where it is at when you start thinking about retirement.

‘It is exciting, the possibilities. All of us were fortunate, we can go in a lot of different areas. But that is also very nerve-wracking, you don’t know what you are going to like until you are doing it. You don’t know what you are going get fulfilment in until you are doing it, you don’t know what you are going to be great at until you are doing it.

‘All that stuff is also in the back of your head. No matter how you handle it, no matter who you are, how well prepared you are to enter the next stage, everybody goes through a level of depression, really.

‘The end of one of the things you love most in your life is there and you are going to have to come to grips with that.

‘You might be struggling and you don’t know it. I feel like you might be struggling in football but you get that win, that little shot, dopamine, like “I got it”. I’m a big ‘hit’ guy.’

The Philadelphia Eagles could be on the hunt for a new starting running back this offseason.

In a trade proposal pitched by Philly Sports Network’s Liam Jenkins, the Eagles would flip their second round draft pick (No. 50), a compensatory fifth round draft pick (No. 170) and tight end Jack Driscoll in exchange for Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III.

Walker has served as the Seahawks’ starting running back over his first two seasons in the league and has racked up 1,955 yards with 17 touchdowns for 4.4 yards per carry.

“Kenneth Walker III put up 905 yards last year and the Eagles hate paying for running backs,” writes Jenkins. “They essentially get a productive young back still on his rookie deal for a fairly cheap price given the different moving parts negating each other, and can pair him up with Kenny #1 for a really dynamic rushing offense.”

Kenneth Walker One of NFL’s Top Running Backs

Walker is undoubtedly one of the top young backs in the league, finishing second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting — he actually finished with more first-place votes than the winner, Garrett Wilson — and finishing his rookie campaign ranked 10th in touchdowns (nine) despite only starting 11 games.

According to Pro Football Focus, Walker was actually even better during the 2023 season compared to his 2022 campaign. Walker posted an 83.5 offensive grade and 85.3 rushing grade during the 2023 season, ranking ninth in offensive grade and 11th in rushing grade among all running backs. During the 2022 season, Walker posted a 76.7 offensive grade and 83.5 rushing grade.

With that being said, the Seahawks do have an abundance of riches at the running back position, with Zach Charbonnet rushing for 462 yards on 4.3 yards per carry during his rookie season.

Why Eagles May Need a New Starting Running Back

As Jenkins mentions, the Eagles will see all of their running backs with the exception of one — Kenneth Gainwell — enter free agency. That means Pro Bowler D’Andre Swift — Philadelphia’s lead running back — and their backup backs such as Boston Scott and Rashaad Penny will be free agents.

The Eagles are well-known for being frugal when it comes to paying their running backs. It was just a season prior that Miles Sanders clinched his first Pro Bowl berth after a career year, running for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, the Eagles allowed him to walk in free agency, with Sanders securing the largest free agent deal of any running back last offseason when he signed for four years and $25.4 million.

However, Sanders emerged as one of the biggest free agent busts last season. The 26-year-old — who is the eighth-highest paid back — had one of the least-efficient seasons of any running back, rushing for 432 yards on 3.3 yards per carry. Sanders’ season was so bad that he was replaced in the starting lineup after the first five games of the season.

While Swift certainly filled Sanders’ void perfectly — he ran for 1,049 yards and five touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry — the Eagles could simply allow him to walk and replace him with another running back like they did the year prior.

There is no indication that the Seahawks are planning to move Walker. However, the idea of the Eagles acquiring Walker or another veteran back via trade during the draft is a viable scenario if they’re looking to replace Swift with a cheaper option.

OMG!! Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce Memorabilia Fetch Astounding Prices at Auction

One of those items was a pair of Adidas cleats worn by Patrick Mahomes in Week 17 of the 2018 NFL season versus the then-Oakland Raiders. The description of the item goes:

“December 30, 2018 – Patrick Mahomes II Game-Used, Photo-Matched Adidas Cleats – 281 Passing Yards and 2 Touchdowns, Also Worn During Warmups of AFC Divisional Playoff Game.”

The cleats drew 36 bids, which started at $5,000 before getting sold for a tantalizing amount of $71,980. In that game versus the Raiders during his second season in the NFL, Mahomes went 14/24 for 281 passing yards and two touchdowns against an interception to lead the Chiefs to a 35-3 victory at Arrowhead Stadium over their AFC West division rivals. Tyreek Hill was still with the Chiefs at the time and he even caught one of Mahomes’ touchdown tosses in the contest.

The other Chiefs item sold by Goldin was a 2015 NFL season helmet worn by Kansas City star tight end Travis Kelce.

“2015 Travis Kelce Game-Used, Photo-Matched Kansas City Chiefs Helmet – Matched to (10) Games – Worn In Playoffs, Pro Bowl – Davious LOA” read the helmet’s description on Goldin’s site.

The helmet was sold for $26,840 after attracting a total of 30 bids, beginning at $2,500.

In the 2015 NFL season, Kelce posted 875 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 72 receptions and 103 targets across 16 games played. It was also the same season in which Kelce earned his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Of course, years after Mahomes and Kelce wore those Chiefs items, they have won three Super Bowls together with perhaps more to come.

CHIEFS NEWS: Though you never wore our colors on the field, you’ll always be part of the family. The game will feel your absence, Jason ❤️ Congratulations on an unforgettable career!

On Monday, March 4th, the Philadelphia Eagles center formally announced his retirement from the National Football League (NFL) in a deeply moving press conference.

During the emotional 40-minute event, Jason Kelce reflected on his remarkable career, often overcome with tears. His brother, Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, stood by visibly affected, wiping tears from his own face.

Throughout his 13-season tenure in the NFL, all with the Eagles, Jason achieved significant success, notably winning a Super Bowl in 2018. He boasts an impressive record of seven Pro Bowl appearances and six All-Pro selections. In a particularly touching moment, Jason acknowledged Travis, stressing, “I wouldn’t be here without the bond Travis and I share. It made me stronger, tougher, smarter, and taught me the values of cooperation, loyalty, patience, and understanding.”

Further reflecting on his career, Jason remarked, “It feels fitting that my journey reached its pinnacle in the City of Brotherly Love. I understood that bond all too well.”

Notably, Jason was in attendance at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas last month, supporting his brother Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs. Accompanied by Travis’ girlfriend, pop sensation Taylor Swift, as well as Blake Lively, Lana Del Rey, Miles Teller, and other notable friends, Jason watched from a private suite as the Chiefs secured victory against the San Francisco 49ers.

After the game, Jason, Travis, and Swift were seen celebrating at a club in Las Vegas alongside Travis’ teammates. Videos from the celebration quickly went viral, capturing moments of Jason Kelce dancing in a red and yellow wrestling mask and Taylor Swift singing along to her own songs with Travis.

Jason Kelce is flying out on a high.

The 36-year-old Philadelphia Eagles center sobbed as he announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons on Monday.

“Not a good start,” he joked through tears, before detailing visceral memories of playing football as a kid, as well as the hardships he went through to make it as a professional athlete.

Kelce also took time to thank everyone who has helped him along the way, including his parents, Donna and Ed Kelce, his brother, Travis Kelce, and his wife, Kylie Kelce, who were all holding back tears from the audience.

“There is no chance I would be here without the bond Travis and I share,” Jason said while remembering how he and his brother, who is a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, pushed each other over the years.

“It was really my brother and I our whole lives,” he said. “We did almost everything together — competed, fought, laughed, cried and learned from each other. We invented games, imagine ourselves as star players of that time.

“We envisioned making winning plays day after day. We won countless Super Bowls in our minds before ever leaving the house. And when we weren’t playing we were at the other one’s games.”

The now-retired athlete continued to wipe away tears as he recalled meeting Kylie in a bar and how proud he is to now be the father of three daughters.

“This all brings us here to today where I announce I am retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles,” he said at the end of the speech. “And today I must admit I am officially overrated. Vastly overrated. It took a lot of hard work and determination getting here.”

“Thank you, Philadelphia, from the bottom of my heart,” he concluded. “It has truly been a privilege. You have all been good to me and my family … I don’t know what’s next but I look forward the new challenges and lessons that await.”

Jason was the Eagles’ sixth-round pick in the 2011 draft, and he spent his entire career with the team.

He won a Super Bowl ring in 2018 and has seven Pro Bowls under his belt.

Jason memorably helped lead his team to the 2023 Super Bowl, which the Eagles lost to his brother Travis Kelce’s team, the Kansas City Chiefs, 38-35.

Speculation that Jason was hanging up his cleats first emerged in January after the Eagles’ season-ending loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He told his teammates in the locker room after the game that he was retiring, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“He has considered retiring after other recent seasons, but this time is said to be real and happening,” the sports reporter tweeted.

Jason was visibly upset following his team’s loss and even appeared to be crying when cameras cut to him on the sidelines.

“That looks like a man filled with emotion right now,” commentator Troy Aikman said during the broadcast.

He walked off the field toward his wife, Kylie, who stood in the front row with his father

Eagles player Lane Johnson also told reporters that Jason had “hinted” to teammates that 2023-24 was his final season.

“I love him. He’s one of the best to ever play the game,” Johnson said.

“The things he can do on the football field athletically — I don’t think we’ll see another one like him for a long time.”

In March 2023, the father of three announced his decision to “return for another year after talking it over with my wife and many other friends and family.”

“I have put much thought into whether it makes sense to play another season… Thank you to all my supporters and detractors for fueling me, I ain’t f–king done yet,” he tweeted at the time.

Jason and Kylie are parents to three girls: Wyatt Elizabeth, 4, Elliotte Ray, 2, and Bennett Llewellyn, 1.

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