Jason Kelce’s dad, Ed Kelce, revealed how his son’s appearance will indicate whether he’s really retiring from the NFL.
“I’ll know he’s retiring when he starts to lose weight,” Ed, a.k.a. Papa Kelce, explained during the Friday, January 26, episode of the “Baskin & Phelps” podcast.
Ed, who shares Jason, 36, and son Travis Kelce with ex-wife Donna Kelce, noted that offensive and defensive linemen tend to slim down when they hang up their cleats.
“These guys are very health conscious. As soon as they decide to retire from the game, they shed a ton of weight,” Ed said. “Once that happens, you’re not coming back.”
Ed hinted that Jason’s time with the Philadelphia Eagles as their star center could be nearing its end — but the family is hesitant to believe the hype. “As Kylie [Kelce], his wife says, she’ll believe it when he gets up in front of a podium and announces to everyone, ‘I’m retiring’ and that’s that,” Ed said of his daughter-in-law’s opinion on the matter, noting that Jason “talks as if he’s retiring.”
Ed added: “I’ve always said, Jason will quit when he’s determined that he’s had enough. I think we may be there. I don’t have inside information.”
Jason Kelce has been a fixture of the Philadelphia Eagles offense for more than a decade, but he’s been realistic about the idea of retirement. Kelce was drafted in 2011, becoming the first rookie in Eagles history to start all 16 regular season games at center. He helped lead the Eagles to their first-ever Super […]
When it comes to his youngest son and Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end, Ed said, “Travis will play until they kick him off. As he says, he’ll play until the wheels fall off.”
Jason sparked retirement speculation earlier this month after he got emotional following the Eagles’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on January 15. The professional athlete, who was drafted into the NFL in 2011, was spotted crying on the sidelines after the game.
Jason was also seen talking to his dad and wife, 31, in the stands before being brought to tears during a chat with his offensive line coach, Jeff Soutland, on the field. The loss knocked the Eagles out of the hunt for Super Bowl LVIII.
“That looks like a man filled with emotion,” one of the ESPN broadcasters said as the cameras panned to Kelce. “You wonder if that’s it for 36-year-old Jason Kelce.”
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One day later, NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Jason told his teammates in the locker room that he’s retiring after 13 years in the league. Jason has yet to confirm his retirement, but he revealed during a recent “New Heights” podcast episode that he did “address the team” after that loss.
“It’s just something that I think when it’s time to officially announce what’s happening in the future, it’ll be done in a way that’s definitive and pays respect to a lot of people and individuals that have meant a lot to me and what has led to the career that I’ve had,” Jason told his brother and their listeners in January. “I don’t think that it would be respectful or even accurate to be able to do that right after a game like that. … In the future, there’ll be something said, I guess.”
The following week, Jason turned his attention on supporting Travis, 34, and the Chiefs since they are still in the playoffs. Jason made headlines on Sunday, January 21, when he took off his shirt at the Chiefs’ game against the Buffalo Bills and proceeded to cheer for his sibling from the VIP suite.