Time to call it an end as Jason Kelce announces retirement after 13 NFL seasons.
Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce announced his plan to retire on Monday, March 4th, 2024, in an emotional press conference at the Philadelphia Eagles Training Center at the NovaCare Complex.
The father of three talked in his speech about his love for the game, something he started when he was just a boy in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
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A Hall of Fame-worthy speech, an emotional Kelce spent roughly 45 minutes thanking everyone who touched his life throughout his football journey, from coaches and even the band teacher growing up to those who nurtured his career at Cincinnati to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman and the teammates and coaches he battled with during his professional career.
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“So this all brings us here to today, where I announce I am retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles,” Kelce said, brushing tears from his eyes. “And today, I must admit, I am officially overrated, vastly overrated. But (expletive), it took a lot of hard work and determination getting here.
“I have been the underdog my entire career and — I mean this when I say it — I wish I still was. Few things gave me more joy than proving someone wrong. My mother used to tell people and still says to this day, ‘If you want Jason to do something, all you have to do is tell him he can’t,’ and that was true in more ways than I care to admit.”
“I relish doubters; they fuel the fire within. I suspect that comes from an upbringing where my parents would tell me, ‘Jason, you can do, you can be anything you put your mind to it and work hard to achieve it.’ So whenever I was faced with doubt in my career, be it from fans, coaches, even from my own teammates, the American dream would burn deep from inside my bones, which leads to my last Jeff Stoutland quote: ‘Hungry dogs run fast.’
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“Thank you, Philadelphia. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for letting me represent this city and allowing me into your homes every Sunday. It has truly been a privilege. You have all been so good to me and my family.
“Growing up in Cleveland, I watched all of my favorite athletes leave the city. Hell, a whole team left the city. It has always been a goal of mine to play my whole career in one city. And I couldn’t have dreamt of a better one and a better fit if I tried.
“I don’t know what’s next, but I look forward to the next challenges and opportunities that await, and I know that I carry with me the lessons from my time here and that, forever, we shall all share the bond of being Philadelphians. That’s all I got.”
A sixth-round draft pick out of Cincinnati in 2011, Kelce played his entire career with the Eagles, earning seven Pro Bowl bids, six first-team All-Pro honors, countless pancake blocks on the move and one Super Bowl ring.
