WATCH: ‘Emotional’ Jason Kelce couldn’t hold back his tears as he announced retirement from football after 13 years of glory

Jason Kelce has been selected to Pro Bowls seven times and first-team All-Pro six times in his 13 seasons. 

WATCH: ‘Emotional’ Jason Kelce couldn’t hold back his tears as he announced retirement from football after 13 years of glory

Jason Kelce broke into tears while annoucing his retirement (Via Imago/X)

It’s official! The Philadelphia Eagles’ star center has announced his retirement after 13 glorious seasons playing in the NFL. It’s truly an emotional moment for the whole franchise and fans as it is for Jason Kelce, who couldn’t hold back his tears while waving his final goodbye to the NFL. 

Kelce is one of those honoring players who spent their whole career dedicated to one team— for him, the Eagles. Since the sixth-round draft selection in 2011, Kelce has remained loyal to the Eagles and led them to six postseason appearances and two Super Bowl appearances in the last seven seasons. But now, it seems the time to close the book of his illustrious Hall of Fame-deserving career. 

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The 36-year-old has racked up several accolades to his name, including, a Super Bowl ring. He has been selected to Pro Bowls seven times and first-team All-Pro six times in his 13-year-long career. 

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During his recent press conference regarding his retirement news, Kelce began by thanking the reporters for joining him, and before he could finish a sentence, started with “Let’s see how long this lasts,” he broke into tears as he couldn’t utter a word with the overwhelming emotions.

There have been several instances in the past few years that suggested the Eagles’ star center’s potential departure from the NFL. But things became more evident when he was spotted shedding tears while sitting on the sideline witnessing his team’s Super Bowl dream being crushed with a wildcard playoff loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earlier in January. 

The moment of sorrow speculated Kelce’s inevitable retirement as fans believed it was his last game with the Eagles and he couldn’t end his last season on a winning note. And indeed, it was! 

How did Jason Kelce build a reputation for himself in the NFL?

As a sixth-round pick, the Eagles had very minimum expectations from the young Kelce who had just begun his career in the NFL. All anyone knew was the Cincinnati Bearcats alum who had played different positions at college, including running back and guard before eventually settling as a center. 

Jason Kelce Eagles Chiefs
Eagles center Jason Kelce (via Imago)

Interestingly, the same year when he was drafted, the Eagles had also signed the famous CB Nnamdi Asomugha, and QB Vince Young, among the others promptly called “Dream Team” from free agency. They appeared to have overshadowed the addition of Kelce to the Eagles’ active roster. 

But shortly after they famed out, Kelce secured the position of starting center and remained intact throughout the change of coaching dynamics– from Andy Reid to Nick Sirianni. Kelce is well-known for his astonishing record of starting 156 consecutive regular-season games, despite going through the trail of injuries.

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