The Philadelphia Eagles’ star center Jason Kelce appears to be ready to walk away from the NFL. According to multiple reports, Kelce told his teammates that he would retire following the Eagles’ 9-31 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL Wild Card round on Monday night.
Kelce, who turned 36 in November, flirted with retirement last year after the Eagles were defeated in the Super Bowl by the Kansas City Chiefs. He ended up deciding to return for another run on a one-year deal.
While Kelce is set to become a free agent and could possibly sign with another team, the chances for that are slim. He spent his entire career with the Eagles and most likely wants to be a one-franchise player when he’s eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Following the Bucs’ game, Kelce declined to talk with the media. However, he let his teammates know that he won’t be back in 2024.
“I love him. He’s one of the best to ever play the game,” right tackle Lane Johnson told reporters. “The things he can do on the football field athletically — I don’t think we’ll see another one like him for a long time.”
The Eagles selected Jason Kelce in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Since then, Kelce started 193 games with the franchise, making the Pro Bowl seven times while also being selected to First-team All-Pro six times. He was part of Philly’s team that won the Super Bowl LII.
