The Eagles conceded at the end of their 32-9 blowout loss to the Buccaneers that they stood no chance of a comeback.
In doing so, the team gave star center Jason Kelce a proper send-off as he reportedly heads into retirement. Kelce played the first snap of Philadelphia’s final drive against Tampa Bay, then exited the wild-card game.
MORE: Buccaneers thrash Eagles in blowout fashion to set up date with Lions
That snap looks set to be the last of Kelce’s 13-year career. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that Kelce told his teammates in the locker room after the game that he was retiring.
Six-time All-Pro and future Hall-of-Fame center Jason Kelce told his Eagles’ teammates in Monday night’s postgame locker room that he is in fact retiring, per league sources.
The 36-year-old Kelce became visibly emotional at the end of the Eagles’ 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers. He… pic.twitter.com/GofAAlFtUd
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 16, 2024
It isn’t a surprise that Kelce is heading into retirement. He had openly discussed the possibility in previous offseasons and appeared to be emotional on the sideline as the game wound to a close.
Kelce shared a poignant moment with offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland on the sidelines at the end of the contest. He then made his way over to his family, greeting his wife, Kylie, and father, Ed, before heading toward the locker room.
Jason Kelce once again faces a decision about his future. Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham are also slated to be free agents. This feels like an #Eagles team in transition in many ways. Lots of questions to be answered. pic.twitter.com/BJChNhRrXe
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 16, 2024
An emotional Jason Kelce finds his family in the stands postgame 💚 pic.twitter.com/nIJxKDHpxA
— NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2024
Kelce’s final game being a playoff loss will sting, but it will be just one blip on the radar for the 36-year-old. He has established himself as one of the game’s great centers, being named to the AP All-Pro first team six times, including for his performance during the 2023 NFL season.
MORE: Jason Kelce reportedly set to retire after Eagles eliminated by Buccaneers
Kelce is just one of five centers to earn six All-Pro nods. The others — Jim Otto, Bulldog Turner, Dermotti Dawson, Jim Ringo — are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
It certainly seems like Kelce will end up in Canton as well. As numerous tributes poured in for the all-time great, many opined that he would end up becoming a Hall of Famer soon after his retirement.
Jason Kelce broke through a barrier that VERY few (if any) ever did before him: He was a famous offensive lineman. Arguably the most popular the league has ever seen.
It was his personality, but he also was VERY good at football.
First ballot Hall of Famer — and his speech…
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) January 16, 2024
One of the greatest players and men our game has ever seen:
– 13 seasons with the @Eagles
– Super Bowl LII Champion
– 7x Pro Bowls
– 6x First-team All-ProCongrats on an incredible career, @JasonKelce. 👏 pic.twitter.com/4WELORWlsV
— NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2024
I love @JasonKelce
One of my favorites
One of the all-time best
Would sure love to see him keep playing and have a better final result
But that’s me being selfish
Otherwise, look forward to seeing you and your aura walk elegantly into Canton, sirpic.twitter.com/rvn5H3XXpy
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) January 16, 2024
#Eagles C Jason Kelce retires from the NFL with one thing that will never go away: He’ll always have the greatest Super Bowl parade speech ever.
This will never get old.
pic.twitter.com/X7RtoTF6FZ https://t.co/kq0aG5S57s
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 16, 2024
This is the most important thing Jason Kelce ever said to the media, fans, and future teammates. pic.twitter.com/8544TXaypT
— Eytan (@shandershow) January 16, 2024
13 years of giving everything he had 💚@JasonKelce is a true warrior pic.twitter.com/OVl9SzmWmV
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 16, 2024
It’s easy to root against the Eagles but impossible to root against Jason Kelce.
Awesome dude and future hall of famer. 🫡
pic.twitter.com/YTTcdSQ5Vb
— Dylan Powell (@PowellAnalytics) January 16, 2024
Thank you @JasonKelce_ for giving us all of you! You are one of us and we are forever grateful. To your family, the sacrifices are over so enjoy him to the fullest. Love @Eagles fans from near and far!
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) January 16, 2024
Cheers to Jason Kelce. Hell of a career. pic.twitter.com/AjfECy7M8m
— Rich Ohrnberger (@ohrnberger) January 16, 2024
He didn’t go out the way he wanted but he left it all on the field. Job well done @JasonKelce https://t.co/HmoptnFoyj
— Tra Thomas (@72TraThomas) January 16, 2024
There are some players you just don’t ever want to see them stop playing. Kelce is one of them. https://t.co/4H2AwzuiZU
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 16, 2024
Jason Kelce career stats
Beyond his six All-Pro nods, Kelce was named to seven Pro Bowls over his 13-year career. He played in 193 career NFL regular-season games, starting all of them, and an additional 12 playoff games to bring his career total of games played to 205.
Kelce went nearly a decade without missing a start before retiring. He last missed a game in 2014 as a result of a sports hernia. He played in 157 consecutive games following his return from that, which stands as the second-longest active starting streak in the NFL, just behind the 161 consecutive games logged by Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews.
Did Jason Kelce win a Super Bowl?
Yes, Kelce won one Super Bowl during his NFL career. He was a part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl 52-winning team, which outdueled Tom Brady’s Patriots, 41-33, in 2018 in one of the highest-scoring Super Bowls ever.
Kelce also appeared in a second Super Bowl in 2023. However, his Eagles lost 38-35 to the Chiefs, granting the win in the famed “Kelce Bowl” to Jason’s younger brother Travis Kelce.
MORE: What Travis & Jason Kelce said to each other after Chiefs defeated Eagles in Super Bowl 57
When was Jason Kelce drafted?
Kelce was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. The Eagles chose him with the 191st overall pick out of Cincinnati, but he quickly developed into a high-caliber starter.
The biggest on-the-field knock on Kelce coming out of college was that he was smaller than the average center. He stood at 6-3 but was just 295 pounds, which was considered light for the position. As such, teams were worried about how he might deal with stronger players at the next level.
Kelce, though, proved his athletic ability, and his technique allowed him to develop into one of the most effective centers both at the point of attack and while moving to the outside. He played a major role in establishing Philadelphia’s offensive line as one of the best in the league.
In retrospect, Kelce was certainly underdrafted. Even so, he ended up landing in a perfect spot in Philadelphia.
Jason Kelce career earnings
Kelce earned a total of $ 81.7 million during his NFL career, per Spotrac.com. That’s the most money made by a center in NFL history.
Of course, those are just Kelce’s on-field earnings. He has made plenty of money off the field as well, from his commercial spots to his work on the “New Heights” podcast with his brother.
And more importantly, Kelce also became an Eagles legend by delivering the team its first-ever Super Bowl ring and rewarding the team with 13 years of rock-solid play after being a sixth-round pick.
That will make it all the more difficult for fans to say goodbye to him as he rides off into the sunset.
Best NFL centers of all time
At present, 14 players started multiple seasons at center and were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Below is the full list of them, alphabetized by last name:
- Chuck Bednarik
- Dermontti Dawson
- Frank Gatski
- Mel Hein
- Kevin Mawae
- Bruce Matthews
- Jim Otto
- Jim Ringo
- Dwight Stephenson
- Mick Tingelhoff
- George Trafton
- Clyde Turner
- Mike Webster
- Alex Wojciechowicz
Kelce seems likely to eventually join that group of all-time greats. It will be interesting to see if any of his contemporaries, like Alex Mack or Travis Frederick, eventually join him in Canton.
