Unfortunately for Jason Kelce, his 2023 season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs when the All-Pro center and his Philadelphia Eagles teammates suffered a disappointing 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kelce certainly hasn’t been spending his time off since then sulking over the loss, however.
The veteran offensive lineman has spent the last few weeks supporting and watching his brother, Travis Kelce, help lead the Kansas City Chiefs to another Super Bowl win.
This season’s Super Bowl took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, and during a recent episode of his “New Heights” podcast with his brother, the older Kelce shared a story about feeling starstruck after meeting comedians Adam Sandler and David Spade in Vegas (via New Heights on Twitter)
Kelce shared how he’s used to people coming up to him on the street or in the store and them acting starstruck, but he never really understood why they felt so nervous meeting him until his recent interaction with Sandler and Spade in Las Vegas.
As for Kelce’s future in the NFL, that seems to be something that is still up in the air.
The Pro Bowl center hasn’t announced anything officially yet, but judging from some of the video clips that have gone around the last few months of him enjoying himself at his brother’s games and afterparties, there seems to be at least a good chance that he’s probably done playing professional football for a living.
If he actually does end up retiring, he will easily be remembered as one of the best centers to ever play in the NFL.
Jason Kelce Confirms he will be RETURNING to Philadelphia Eagles and not Retiring “I had a lot on my mind, but now it’s made up..”
A month ago, Jason Kelce’s retirement filled the front pages of sports newspapers.
The fans and the media said goodbye to the iconic center of the Philadelphia Eagles and celebrated his 13-year career.
Today, the player himself has questioned all that, hinting at his return next season.
The elder Kelce has been a stalwart of Philadelphia’s offensive line since joining the team in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. In that time, Jason has put together a career that will surely take him to the Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible, earning the respect of friends and rivals along the way.
However, after a 13-year career, the loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this past Wild Card Round seemed to have been too much for the player. At the end of the game, the legendary center would have announced to his teammates that he was retiring, behind closed doors in the Raymond James Stadium locker room.
A few days later, Kelce himself denied rumors on the “New Heights” podcast that he co-hosts with his brother Travis, and today, he again cast doubt on all of his past claims, saying that he is still trying to make a decision.
Jason Kelce’s return to the gridiron
Speaking with Adam Lefkoe and Shaquille O’Neal on “The Big Podcast,”Kelce opened up about his possible retirement. “Still figuring it out. I think if I still want to play, I’m going to play. I think right now we’re not far enough away from the last game.”
He said that the last month has been very emotional after a long season and an end to the campaign that was not at all pleasant for him or his team. “So I’m just going to take some time, rest, recover, and then figure it out. I think I’ll have an answer in the next couple of weeks,” he clarified.
Almost since speculation about his future began, the Eagles lineman assured that his first statements were taken out of context. Therefore, he now warned that any decision he makes in this regard, he will announce it on his own terms.
What would Kelce’s future be if he retires?
Although there have been rumors that he has already been in talks with television networks such as ESPN and Fox to take a position as a sports analyst, in the conversation with Lefkoe and O’Neal, Kelce hinted that he is also considering a position as a coach.