Eagles of Philadelphia During his NFL retirement speech, Jason Kelce sheds tears

After 13 seasons, legendary Philadelphia Eagle Jason Kelce announced his retirement from the National Football League (NFL) in a 40-minute statement on Monday at the Eagles complex, according to The US Sun.

The former center for the Eagles was joined by his parents, Ed and Donna, brother, Travis, a tight end with the Kansas City Chiefs, and wife Kylie, who were all seated in the first row.

Jason, 36, took a seat and almost immediately started crying.

He remarked, “Thanks for coming guys,” just before starting.

I started crying when I said, “Let’s see how long this lasts…”

Then Jason said, “Not a good start, there we go.”

But after 36 minutes of tributes and tales, he finally said what everyone had been waiting for—and, for some, dreading.

Jason tried not to cry any more as he stated, “And so this brings us here to today, where I announce that I am retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.”

And I have to say that I am officially overrated now. incredibly overvalued. But f**k, getting here required a lot of perseverance and hard work.”

An all-time great giving an all-time great retirement speech. @JasonKelce, forever a legend. pic.twitter.com/8jNXEcrizp

— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2024

Despite a history of ailments, Jason, a 2011 sixth-round draft selection by Cincinnati, has made 193 appearances with the Philadelphia 76ers and has been selected a “First-Team All-Pro” six times and a Pro Bowler seven times.

It has been nine years since he missed a game.

Regarding his future, Jason acknowledged that he had no idea where his life would lead him.

“I’m not sure what comes next,” he remarked. “But I’m excited for the next challenges and new prospects. I am aware that the lessons I learned throughout my stay here are with me. And that the tie that unites us all as Philadelphians will last forever. All I have is that.