During the 2022 season, Jason Kelce lost the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs but remained confident, believing his team, the Eagles, had a chance in the next one. However, their hopes were crushed when they suffered a harsh 32-9 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round of the 2023 season. Now, Kelce finds himself grappling with uncertainty, facing a tough decision about his future in the sport.
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Recently, Kelce joined Shaquille O’Neal on his podcast, “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” discussing the possibility of retiring from football. Kelce remains unsure, weighing the options of returning to the field or hanging up his cleats for good. While he doesn’t have an answer yet, he plans to announce his decision in the coming weeks.
During the show, Jason talked about his uncertain retirement plans after the Philadelphia Eagles were eliminated from the 2024 playoffs. He described the end of the season as “awful” and expressed a need for time to think things over before making a decision. Moreover, the star center also admitted being a bit fearful of retirement.
Jason fears retirement because he understands that the intense emotions experienced during football will no longer be present. He recalls a conversation with his former teammate Chris Long, who explained that while playing, emotions are like a rollercoaster, but once retired, they flatten out. Kelce revealed,
“When you’re playing, you’re winning the highest highs and you’re losing the lowest lows and your emotions — the way you’re riding it are like (a wave). And then once you’re done playing, you’re like this (flatline). It feels weird and it takes a while to get used to that.”
Kelce worries about adjusting to this change and wonders why he won’t feel the same exhilarating highs he experienced while playing football. However, as of now he feels the need to rest and recover from the long and challenging season.
The Philadelphia Eagles began the season on a high note, winning 10 out of their first 11 games and leading the NFC East. However, their fortunes took a turn for the worse in the following six games, where they suffered five losses. They ended the season with an 11-6 record, placing second in their division behind the Cowboys.
Despite securing a playoff spot, they could not advance past the first round, leading to an emotional moment for Jason Kelce, who was seen in tears after the game. During the podcast, Jason admitted that if he still has the desire to play, he will continue, but he is actually more focused on the importance of taking time to reflect to whether or not to make a comeback to the Eagles in 2024. Kelce also mentioned that retirement would open up various opportunities for him, but also acknowledged that nothing could replace the experience of playing football.
As he weighs his future, his retirement could lead to exciting opportunities beyond football. Recently, there were reports that suggested the 36-year-old is already exploring roles in NFL broadcasting, meeting with major networks like ESPN, Fox, and Amazon.
Jordan Mailata’s Prediction on Jason Kelce’s Retirement Dilemma
In recent years, Jason Kelce has become the face of the franchise for the Eagles, and he could easily continue playing for them in 2024 since he hasn’t announced his retirement yet. However, his teammate Jordan Mailata is confident that Kelce won’t return.
During Super Bowl week, Maliata told NBC Sports Philadelphia that there’s no chance Kelce will come back for the next season. He thinks Kelce is having too much fun spending time with his family, supporting his brother, and just enjoying life to the fullest. Jordan Mailata stated,
“You’re telling me he’s going shirts off in the games, gambling in the casinos, he’s coming back? No way. He’s having too much fun. He’s out there living his life. And I’m going to miss him for sure, man.”
Jason Kelce has been a prominent figure in the NFL in recent years, and his retirement would come as a significant surprise to fans who still want to see him on the field. However, Kelce finds himself torn because he loves the game but also wants to prioritize his family, especially his young daughters. Whatever decision he makes, we can expect to hear about it in the next few weeks.
