The legendary Philadelphia Eagles center gave an emotional 40-minute love-letter to the game of football on Monday announcing his days as a player are over
PHILADELPHIA —
Jason Kelce’s decision about the future of his pro football career has finally and officially arrived.
Nearly two months after news broke that Kelce, 36, planned to retire following a heartbreaking Philadelphia Eagles playoff loss, the future Hall of Fame center held a press conference to formally announce that he was leaving the game of football behind.
Kelce delivered the news in a thoughtful, emotional and tear-packed 40-minute press conference that also served as a love letter to the game of football.
“Let’s see how long this lasts,” Kelce said as he sat down and burst into tears in the media room packed with reporters, Eagles head coach Nick Sirrianni and his family.
You can watch the first half of his epic, lengthy retirement announcement in the video player above. The second half can be watched below.
On Monday morning, Kelce tweeted that he would let the world know at noon whether he’ll play football again this fall.
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“No Keg videos this year, I have come to a decision and will address it at a press conference this afternoon,” Kelce’s post reads.
His tweet referenced a prank pulled by the Eagles last year that featured Kelce drinking a beer and announcing he would retire from hosting a local radio show instead of the NFL.
Kelce arrived at his press conference in a tank top and delivered a sprawling statement about the decision to hang up his helmet while also detailing many of the key memories he made during his storied football career.
The future hall-of-famer called out head coach Andy Reid for taking a chance on him in the sixth round of the NFL Draft and then later his brother Travis, who was in attendance and also in tears at the press conference.
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Kelce also didn’t shy away from the hard moments of his career, including the death of Andy Reid’s son Garrett Reid at Eagles’ training camp.
In addition to numerous other touching stories of his time in the NFL, the six-time AP All-Pro also recalled the swirl of positive and negative emotions he felt losing the Super Bowl to the Chiefs.
“I won’t forget falling short to the Chiefs and the conflicted feeling of immense heartbreak I had selfishly for myself and for my teammates,” Kelce said. “And, at the same time, the amount of pride I had that my brother had climbed the mountaintop once again.”
Kelce may have been in tears for nearly the entirety of his press conference, but it didn’t stop him from hiding a Taylor Swift reference while discussing the city of Philadelphia.
“I found my career being fulfilled in the city of brotherly love — I knew that relationship All Too Well,” Kelce said.
In addition to nearly 30 minutes of stories and tales from his career, Kelce also thanked his long-time offensive line coach, Jeff Stoutland, for saving his NFL career in 2016 and turning him into the presumptive first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee he is now.
Kelce finished off his press conference by thanking his parents, his children and wife Kylie Kelce.
“I think it’s no coincidence I have enjoyed my best years of my career with Kylie by my side,” he said.
Then, with an unassuming “that’s all I got,” Kelce stepped down from the podium, wiped his face, hugged his family and officially closed the book on his days as a player in the NFL.
Despite an early playoff exit, Kelce still made a significant splash during the postseason — attending and going viral for his behavior at Kansas City Chiefs playoff games
Travis Kelce flies to Singapore to be reunited with Taylor Swift after his romantic trip Down Under to watch his girlfriend perform in Sydney
Travis Kelce is believed to be heading to Singapore to support girlfriend Taylor Swift as she continues her Eras Tour.
The NFL star is on his way to Asia with his friends to spend time with the superstar and attend her concert, ET reported.
One of Kelce’s friends Harry Clark posted a video on his Instagram of the skyline as they landed in the city.
Swift has sold-out six nights at the 55,000-seat National Stadium in Singapore, with her final show taking place on Saturday.
She headed to Asia after performing in Australia last month, with Kelce joining her in Sydney during the tour.
Travis Kelce is believed to be heading to Singapore to support girlfriend Taylor Swift as she continues her Eras Tour
The pair were spotted enjoying a date at Sydney Zoo before Travis watched his girlfriend perform in front of thousands of adoring fans at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
The NFL star then flew back to Vegas, where he continued his Super Bowl celebrations with the likes of Patrick Mahomes while still on a high after Kansas City’s dramatic victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
And after a quick trip back to home-city Cleveland on Tuesday, where he and brother Jason watched their beloved Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics, Kelce is now heading to Singapore to link up with Swift again.
Kelce will likely be in attendance for at least one of Swift’s shows when he completes the 9,500-mile trip from Cleveland to Singapore.
The NFL star is on his way to Asia with his friends to spend time with the superstar and attend her concert, ET reported
Meanwhile, Swift left fans concerned after appearing to nurse a cold during her first show in Singapore.
The American pop superstar was seen coughing as she performed during the Singapore leg of her Eras Tour at National Stadium.
She headed to Asia after performing in Australia last month, with Kelce joining her in Sydney during the tour
Fans were quick to chime in in the comments, including American rapper Lil Uzi Vert, who wrote, ‘Hope she’s okay for real’.
‘I was there and so worried about Taylor,’ one Swiftie commented while another said, ‘Oooh no she needs some rest‘.
‘You can hear a raspy tone in her voice, she also seems more calm and reserved in her movements. The show must go on… a queen,’ said another.
‘I hope she’s okay. Take some rest Taylor as soon as possible. We love you! Stay safe and well,’ someone else wrote.
Taylor is believed to be staying in the glorious Capella resort while she is touring Singapore
Taylor is believed to be staying in the Capella resort’s gorgeous Colonial Manor
Originally built in the 1880s, the stunning Old-Style pad consists of a pair of vintage bungalows which have been converted into one sprawling three-bedroom suite
The accommodation is priced at an eye-watering AU$21,000-a night
The resort is situated on Sentosa island and boasts magnificent views
Capella was built on the site of a British army base, which was originally constructed in 1880s and combines heritage buildings with new ultra-chic buildings
