BREAKING NEWSJason Kelce ‘told his Eagles teammates he’s RETIRING in the locker room after playoff defeat by Tampa Bay’ with 36-year-old left in tears on the sideline
Jason Kelce reportedly told his Philadelphia Eagles teammates that he will retire from football after their shock defeat by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, the 36-year-old is set to walk away from football after a remarkable 13-year career and told his teammates in the locker room at Raymond James Stadium.
Kelce, a father-of-three, strongly considered retiring at the end of last season and filmed his struggle with the decision which later became a hit Amazon Prime documentary.
But this time he’s walking away for good and Kelce looked overcome by emotion in the final few seconds of his team’s dreadful 32-9 loss to Bucs.
The center, a Super Bowl winner, six-time All-Pro and future Hall-of-Fame inductee, turned and hugged the offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland as the clock ticked towards zero.
Jason Kelce reportedly told his Philadelphia Eagles teammates that he will retire from football
Kelce walked over to see his wife, Kylie, and father, Ed, in emotional scenes in Tampa Bay
Kelce politely refused to speak to the media afterwards, a duty he normally fulfils post-game
Kelce pictured with wife Kylie and their three daughters Wyatt, Elliotte and Bennett
Kelce was famously beaten by brother Travis as the Eagles met the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII
Jason, the older brother of Kansas City Chiefs star Travis, then had an emotional but brief reunion with his family on the field – his father, Ed, and wife Kylie were cheering him on from the front row of the stands.
He gave them both a wave as he made his way from the field and was filmed tearing up on his long and lonely walk back to the locker room.
But he won the Super Bowl in 2018 after an epic contest against Tom Brady’s Patriots
Kelce politely refused to talk to media in the locker room after the game – he usually speaks whether the Eagles win or lose – and made his way out of the stadium for what seems to be the last time in his career.
It appears to be a sad ending to a career that will see him go down as one of the greats of the game.
The center won the Super Bowl in 2018 and last season, was famously beaten by his brother as the Eagles met the Chiefs in the NFL’s showpiece game.
Kelce was drafted by the Eagles in 2011 after playing college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and has spent his entire career in Philadelphia.
In the build-up to the Bucs game, he accepted that his future was going to be a talking point as the NFL season hit the home stretch.
‘I think it’s been natural the last three seasons for that for me,’ Kelce said Friday.
‘Whenever you’re older in your career, you never know when that’s going to be.
Jason and Travis’ ‘New Heights’ podcast is a huge with football fans throughout the season
‘I try to remind guys and my dad has told me this from the moment I started playing football – you step off the curb one day and that could be the end of your career.
‘So you try to approach every game with that mindset, but obviously the closer and the older you get to that being a realization, puts it out in front maybe a little bit more.
‘But obviously that’s not the main thing. The main thing is going out there and battling with each of the guys in this locker room.’
More to follow.