Jason Kelce isn’t fully sure if he’s ready to retire. The Philadelphia Eagles center, 36, appeared on the latest episode of the Green Light with Chris Long podcast Friday, when he said his retirement is “exciting” but also “daunting” to think about, as he discussed his feelings about leaving the NFL.
“It is exciting to think about possibilities — it is exciting to be able to lose weight, feel good, and not physically fight for my life every day,” Jason said. “I think it is also daunting. It is anxiety and at the end of the day, it is the unknown.” The center then addressed his fears of what he might face next after his exit. “No matter who you are or how well-prepared you are to enter the next stage, everybody goes through a level of depression,” he said. “The end of one of the things you love most in your life is there, and you have to come to grips with that.”
Rumors of Jason’s retirement from the NFL surfaced last month. On Jan. 15, he reportedly told teammates of his intentions to leave football after losing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs, according to sources cited by the NFL and ESPN. That same month, Jason said “there’s too much emotion” in making a decision to retire as he addressed the reports of him leaving the NFL on his podcast New Heights with brother Travis Kelce.
Speaking about what would determine his decision to retire, Jason said during his most recent podcast appearance, “I want the decision of whether I am going to play to be based on whether I want to do it.” “Selfishly, I need to decide, can I commit? Can I mentally be there? Do I want to endure that again? Winning helps that, but you try to not factor that into the decision,” he further explained.
Jason’s recent comments come about after he has spent quality time with wife Kylie Kelce, 31, and their three daughters — Wyatt, 4, Bennett, 11 months, and Elliotte, 2½ — on a recent family trip to Orlando, Florida, where they attended the 2024 Pro Bowl and spent time at Walt Disney World. The podcast appearance also took place ahead of brother Travis’ appearance at Sunday’s Super Bowl, where the Kansas City Chiefs will go up against the San Francisco 49ers.
Jason said he “hasn’t been this connected with Travis since college” during his latest podcast interview. “It has reached a higher level thanks to a lot of different factors — including my brother’s love life,” he jokily added, referring to brother Travis’ relationship with Taylor Swift, who is expected to attend the Super Bowl in support of Travis, alongside Jason, on
