Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce has a new gig.
Kelce has signed a multi-year contract with ESPN, the network announced Tuesday. He will join the “Monday Night Countdown” pregame crew and will be an analyst for the “Monday Night Football” halftime program.
“Jason is a highly respected, Super Bowl Champion with a strong connection to fans,” Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content, said in a press release. “Walking off the field and immediately to ESPN, viewers will benefit from his perspective which has been shaped through his years as an established locker room leader and a future Hall of Fame center. Jason’s addition to ‘Monday Night Countdown’ will greatly strengthen our NFL coverage.”
What did Jason Kelce say about joining ESPN?
The Pro Bowl center announced his retirement in March following a heartbreaking end to the Eagles’ season. But he has continued working on his “New Heights” podcast which he hosts with his brother, Travis Kelce.
“Turns out, it was a short retirement! I’m excited to join ESPN, and particularly the ‘Monday Night Countdown’ team. ESPN was a consistent presence in our household growing up and the network helped shape who I am and my love of all sports. To now appear on that same screen is a full circle moment,” Kelce said per the press release.
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What other former NFL players are joining NFL broadcasts this season?
Tom Brady will finally be making his broadcast debut this fall. The seven-time Super Bowl champion signed a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox Sports in 2022 to become their top NFL analyst.
Brady’s first game will be the Week 1 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys, he announced at a Fox media event in New York City on Monday, according to TODAY.com. His on-air partner will be Kevin Burkhardt.
Burkhardt was previously partners with former NFL tight end Greg Olsen, who quickly became a fan-favorite the past two seasons as the network’s top analyst.
In January, Olsen told The Athletic that for the last two seasons he has been planning for Brady to take over as Fox’s lead analyst. His future role at the network as not yet been announced.
“It’s hard to predict how all that plays out,” he said. “But my end goal is to call premiere games at the top of the ladder and that pursuit won’t change regardless of what happens this next year with my current role.”
Former MVP quarterback Matt Ryan, who lost to Brady in the Super Bowl, will be joining the “NFL Today” crew and replace Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason, according to USA Today.
Ryan called games for CBS Sports last season and was also a studio analyst for the playoffs and Super Bowl.
