Eagles Center Jason Kelce's quotes on retiring from the NFL

Jason Kelce has been a fixture of the Philadelphia Eagles offense for more than a decade, but he is realistic about the idea of ​​retirement.

Kelce was drafted in 2011 and became the first rookie in Eagles history to start all 16 regular season games at center. He helped the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl victory in 2018, defeating the New England Patriots. Kelce appeared in the NFL Championship again in 2023, but the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs (and Travis KelceJason's younger brother) 38-35.

Football fans wondered if Jason would retire after the Super Bowl LVII upset, but he ultimately decided in March 2023 that he wasn't done yet. He pulled back the curtain on his thought process in the 2023 Prime Video documentary Kelcewhich also showed his then pregnant wife, Kylie Kelce. (The couple has three daughters.)

Kylie revealed in the film that Jason had been talking about retirement for 'years', adding: 'I don't think people realize that the blows you take affect the way you interact with your family. … I always tell people, no matter what happens in football, how it turns out, I would like him to retire when he's still able to lay down on the floor and play comfortably with our kids.

She noted, “I'm always very quick to say that they are heavily compensated, but it's crazy when a 35-year-old man is in a world of pain.”

Jason continued to impress Eagles fans on the field, breaking the team record for most consecutive stars after his 145th regular season game in October 2023.

What's next for the athlete? Scroll down to see what Jason said about his retirement from the NFL:

May 2020

After playfully announcing his return to the NFL by declaring via Instagram that he would only retire from 'drunken arm wrestling', Jason tried to silence the speculation for good. “I can't say this enough. When I have decided to retire, you will know,” he told reporters. “It will be a very loud and emphatic statement.”

Jason noted that he was leaving “one of the easier seasons” for him physically. “I feel good. I have my little things that I have to deal with here and there, and that's annoying, but manageable,” he said, adding that playing professional football “takes its toll” on the body. “It is hard to keep doing that. And you want to reflect after you calm down and get back to normal and see if you can give the same emotion and energy it takes to play at a high level.

March 2022

Jason threw fans for a loop in a hilarious one social media video which showed him pouring himself a beer. “Yesterday there were a lot of questions on the air about my future. So I decided I would clear it up right now,” he said in a voiceover. “Unfortunately, I have decided to announce that I am retiring… from hosting WIP [radio].”

Jason took a sip of his drink as the video continued. “I'm definitely not going to stop playing for the Philadelphia Eagles,” he claimed. “I enjoy that way too much. Looking forward to another year, Philadelphia. And to all my teammates: let's dominate.”

September 2022

During an episode of his “New Heights” podcast, Jason got emotional as he opened up about his next chapter in the NFL. “It's a good question, I wish I knew the answer to it,” he said.

Travis predicted his brother had two more years before he officially retired. “If I'm honest, my body is starting to fall apart,” Jason admitted. “This is my 12th year, I couldn't even go to training camp this year. I have undergone surgery [on my elbow] at the beginning of it. … Every joint in my body could use a little cleaning.”

February 2023

After losing to Travis and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, Jason was non-committal about his retirement. “I'm not saying that yet,” he emphasized during a press conference. “We will see.”

A month later, Jason confirmed he wasn't hanging up his helmet yet. “I've thought a lot about whether it makes sense to play another season. After discussing it with my wife and many other friends and family, I have decided to return for another year,” he tweeted. “Thank you to all my supporters and detractors for cheering me on, I'm not done yet!”

September 2023

Fans got a glimpse into Jason's decision-making process in the Prime Video documentary Kelce. “It's getting harder to play,” he admitted. “There have been little things that aren't big things yet, but will turn into big things the longer I play.”

While chatting with other former Eagles in an emotional scene, Jason admitted he was “scared” about the “long-term effects” football could have on his health. “If I get CTE and can't interact with my grandchildren, I would still say that playing 12 years in the NFL, making my family wealthy and being an influential member of the city of Philadelphia is a good trade-off,” he said.

The film ends with Jason ultimately deciding to return for the 2023-2024 season, but not before breaking down in tears about his future. “I have no doubt that I can be a loving father, and I have no doubt that I can be successful,” he said. “But where am I going to be the best in the world at what I fucking do?”

October 2023

Jason was candid about building a family empire outside of the NFL as “New Heights” grew in popularity. “Last year we played against each other a lot and in the end it worked out really well for Travis and me at the end of the season, even though we were one game short,” he said. The NFL Reportmaking a light-hearted joke about his Super Bowl loss.

He continued, “You know, I think it's a lot, and I think the way we've justified it as a family is that this is going to be over pretty quickly. If it's this year, which could very well be, we want to make sure we're ready to go when the football is done, and with all these different opportunities and things, to figure out what we want to do with it. our pension. And besides, just enjoy the last time you have left, with the boys you have left.”

Along with their podcast, Jason and his brother collaborated on a Christmas song for the Eagles' second holiday album. “When these opportunities arise, you realize that the closer you are to the end of your career, the opportunities to do these fun and engaging things with fans and friends will become fewer and fewer,” he said. “You realize that, and it makes you want to do them all the more, because when it's done, it won't be there as much.”

January 2024

Before the Eagles faced off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their wild-card game, Jason provided an update on his thinking for the rest of the season. “I don't feel comfortable worrying [retirement] now or think about it,” he said during an appearance on 94WIP Morning show. “Doing it any other way is a distraction in some ways.”