- Jason Kelce first hinted at retirement after the Philadelphia Eagles’ wild-card loss to Tampa Bay in January.
- Kelce was drafted by the Eagles in 2011, spent all 13 seasons in Philadelphia and won the Super Bowl in 2017.
- DailyMail.com provides the latest international sports news.
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After 13 years as center for the Philadelphia Eagles, Jason Kelce has officially decided to hang up his cleats.
On Monday, Kelce held a press conference and gave an emotional retirement speech while giving thanks and recounting the highlights of his storied career, from the backyard to the brightest lights of the NFL.
Kelce first hinted at retirement after the Eagles’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January. After spending time “figuring out” the situation while supporting his brother Travis on her path to winning a third title last month, Jason finally gave clarity on his future.
‘The end of one of the things you love most in your life is there and you will have to face it.
‘You may be struggling and not know it. I feel like you can be struggling in football, but you get that victory, that little shot, the dopamine, like ‘I’ve got this.’ I’m a big ‘hitman.’
After being drafted by the Eagles in 2011, Kelce immediately became beloved by the Philadelphia fan base. While his presence on the field was valued, his off-field character gave fans even more reasons to love him as a person.
From her battles with Travis and her Super Bowl victory, to her victory parade costume and her topless celebration in front of Taylor Swift in Buffalo. Here DailyMail.com looks back at Kelce’s career in pictures.
While projected to be a fourth-round pick, Jason Kelce was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of Cincinnati.
His quality as a player and character as a person off the field made Kelce a beloved figure among Philadelphia sports fans.
In 2017, Kelce and the Eagles won the Super Bowl by defeating the New England Patriots, 41-33. Kelce joined the celebrations as the team won its first title in the Super Bowl era.
After winning the title, Kelce showed up at the victory parade in a Mummers costume and gave a passionate speech about being the underdog and overcoming adversity.
Over the course of his career, Kelce made six first-team All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl selections. He played a total of 193 games and started all of them.
While he was as serious as possible on the field, Kelce was known for being funny. In 2022, he joined Phillies mascot Phillie Phanatic on the field during a game against San Diego.
Another iconic moment that showcased Kelce’s character during his career was when he wore a Batman mask on the field before a game against the Steelers.
In 2023, Jason and the Eagles faced his younger brother Travis and the Chiefs. Kansas City won the game, 38-35.
Jason and Travis started playing football together in their backyard as kids and were teammates in college before finding success in the NFL.
In 2023, the Kelce brothers started a weekly podcast called ‘New Heights’ where they discussed events related to the NFL. The podcast has been incredibly successful just one year later.
In 2023, Jason was present when Travis hosted the comedy show Saturday Night Live with Kelsea Ballerini in New York City.
2023 also marked the beginning of Travis and Taylor Swift’s headline-grabbing relationship. Eagles fans were quick to cite Jason and D’Andre Swift as the ‘OG Kelce-Swift duo.’
Jason first met Swift when the Chiefs played the Buffalo Bills in the divisional playoffs. During the game, Jason took off his jersey after Travis scored a touchdown.
Jason was also present in the star-studded VIP suite in Las Vegas during the Super Bowl in February. Jason, Swift, Ice Spice and Blake Lively watched as the Chiefs defeated the 49ers.
Donna, Jason and Travis’ mother, was never torn between her children. Before Super Bowl LVII, Donna wore an Eagles-Chiefs jersey and gave her children some cookies.