tearfully recounted memories of his career in Philadelphia, the perfect connection of the last 13 years wasn’t lost on him.

The Eagles center played out his NFL career for perhaps the only fan base capable of matching the passion he exudes. And after a poignant 40-minute retirement announcement from Kelce sent ripples through that fan base Monday afternoon, the bond between the two was only reinforced.

Choking back tears, Jason Kelce devoted a chunk of his retirement speech to his wife, Kylie, saying it’s “no coincidence I have enjoyed my best years of my career with Kylie by my side.”

He also spoke about the night he met Kylie at Buffalo Billiards in 2014 following the Eagles’ annual Christmas party. 85.6% of Inquirer readers wanted Jason Kelce to stick around for another year despite the strong rumors of his retirement.

However, that’s a gradual decline from previous years — 97.9% after the 2021 season and 94.8% after 2022 — which suggests readers are slowly arriving at the acceptance stage of grief.

Confidence in his replacement Cam Jurgens is high, with 94.2% wanting him to remain in midnight green for the 2024 season.