Jason Kelce, widely celebrated as an exceptional leader in the Eagles Nation, has always been deeply involved in the Philadelphia community. That’s why a coaching job with the Philadelphia Eagles would likely make many fans — and possibly most players — happy. However, it turns out the former center is not so sure he would be happy as a coach.
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During a recent interview with Pardon My Take, Big Cat of Barstool Sports asked the six-time First-Team All-Pro if he would ever consider coaching as an assistant alongside his former offensive line coach, Jeff Stoutland. It makes sense since Jason has a great relationship with Stoutland.
The center himself has said in the past that Stoutland was the most influential figure in his career. On the other hand, when Jason retired, Stoutland remarked that he lost not just a player but a friend as well. It would be perfect if Jason could land a job on the Eagles’ staff and learn the coaching ropes under Stoutland. But Jason has other plans, and his primary reason to shun coaching may come as a surprise.
“I mean, part of me would love to do that,” Jason said. “But, that would be a significant pay decrease from podcasting.”
Jason is being 100% truthful here. Last year, it was reported that Jason and Travis Kelce took home $33.3 million from their New Heights podcast. This past year, they signed a three-year deal with Amazon’s Wondery for over $100 million.
New Heights is a weekly show that typically lasts for an hour to one-and-a-half hours. So, they are earning quite well for talking for two to three hours (considering the recording) once a week. The average NFL coaching salary, on the other hand, is $45k a year.
Some of the greats, like Andy Reid, Sean Payton, and Mike Tomlin, make over $15 million a year. However, for assistant coaches, the pay ranges from $44-$78k. This isn’t a bad salary, but compared to the $33.3 million that Jason earned in a year, it looks like chump change.
But that’s not the only reason Jason wouldn’t want to take the job.
“There’s also just the time commitment of those guys. It’s like, you know, I got three young kids, a fourth on the way, and I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet,” added the former center.
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An NFL coach, whether an assistant or head coach, commits a lot of time to work during the season. We’re talking 12-16 hour days, including weekends, and the job can easily exceed 60 hours a week. Some coaches practically live at the team’s facility.
It’s not the ideal job for a new dad trying to help raise four young children. Not to mention, his wife, Kylie, now has her own media commitments and can’t always take care of the kids.
So, sorry Philly fans. Looks like you’re going to have to wait quite a bit before Jason ever truly considers taking an Eagles coaching job. It could be a dream scenario for some, but at the moment, it doesn’t make any sense for Jason.
