Jason Kelce spent his entire NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, winning the team's first Super Bowl to cap the 2017 season; he is the older brother of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who hit the headlines this season for his romance with pop music megastar Taylor Swift
Monday 4 March 2024 19:45, UK
Jason Kelce has announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons playing center for the Philadelphia Eagles.
At a scheduled press conference to on Monday, a visibly emotional Kelce said: "I've been asked many times why did I choose football - what drew me to the game - and I never have an answer that gets it right.
"The best way I could explain it is what draws you to your favourite song, your favourite book. It's what it makes you feel. The seriousness of it. The intensity of it.
"Stepping on the field was the most alive and free I had ever felt... I love football."
Kelce's retirement has long been rumoured, with the 36-year-old seen in tears during the Eagles' 32-9 playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January that ended their season.
A sixth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Kelce spent his entire playing career in Philadelphia, winning a Super Bowl with the team - their first ever - to cap the 2017 campaign.
Kelce is the older brother of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, with the siblings becoming the first to face each other in Super Bowl history when the Eagles lost a thriller 38-35 to the Chiefs to close the 2022 season.
Travis made it back-to-back Super Bowl wins, and three in total, with the Chiefs' 25-22 over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas last month.
The brothers also host a podcast together, while Travis hit the headlines during the 2023 season for his blossoming romance with pop musician megastar Taylor Swift.
Since the NFL's 1970 merger, Jason is the only center who has won a Super Bowl and earned first-team All-Pro honours six times.
He is only the fifth center with at least six All-Pro selections. The other four - Jim Otto, Bulldog Turner, Dermontti Dawson and Jim Ringo - are all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Anthony Joshua's heavyweight showdown with Francis Ngannou takes place on Friday March 8, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book Joshua v Ngannou now!
You can now receive messages and alerts for the latest breaking sports news, analysis, in-depth features and videos from our dedicated WhatsApp channel. Find out more here...
