Why Jason Kelce's Wife Kylie Wants Him To Ditch His NFL Career
Now that he's gone public with Taylor Swift, there might be no bigger sportsman of the moment than Travis Kelce — but his brother, Jason Kelce, has burst onto center stage in recent years, too. At Super Bowl LVII, Travis and Jason made history as the first brothers to face off in a Super Bowl. Though Travis' Kansas City Chiefs eventually triumphed over Jason's Philadelphia Eagles, the real winner was the brothers' mother Donna Kelce, who became "America's Favorite Super Bowl Mom" overnight. Donna also featured in "Kelce," the 2023 Amazon Prime documentary that followed Jason during the 2022-23 football season, chronicling his life on and off the field.
The docu-film, which became Amazon's most-watched-ever sports documentary in September, gave fans an inside look at Jason's family life with his wife Kylie Kelce and their three young daughters. Though the athlete was often shown reading books to his girls or playing with them outside, a major storyline was whether or not Jason planned to retire and spend more time with his growing brood. Jason is also older than Travis, another fact emphasized in the film, and has taken more than his fair share of beatings on the field. (At one point in "Kelce," the center told fans he's had "at least 7 surgeries" and has injured his ankles, hands, elbows, toes and fingers, via Today.) For Kylie, who sees her husband's injuries building season over season, retirement can't come soon enough.
Kylie Kelce hopes Jason can take a break
As seen in "Kelce," Jason Kelce is a family man. That's a big reason why his wife Kylie Kelce fell in love with him and the driving force behind her desire for him to retire. "I don't think people realize the beating you're taking [in football] then impacts the way you interact with your family," she said in the documentary (via People). At the time of filming, Kylie was pregnant with the couple's third daughter, who was born shortly after Super Bowl LVII. "I always tell people that no matter what happens with football, how it ends, I would like [Jason] to retire when he's still able to get down on the floor and play with our kids comfortably," she added.
Part of the reason Jason filmed "Kelce" was because he believed the 2022-23 football season would be his last before hanging up his cleats for good. However, the end of the documentary sees him make an about-face and return to the field for another season. "Right now, I'm fully amped to play football," Jason told People in September. "Once you've come back and that commitment's been made, you know, I'm [fully on board]." Even so, he's well aware that his body can't take much more. "It's harder, the physical pains, your ankles and things hurt a little bit more with every successful season," he acknowledged. In "Kelce," he'd stressed that the little injuries "turn into the big things" over time.
What's next for Jason Kelce?
With this current season seemingly promising to be Jason Kelce's last, what's next for the Philadelphia Eagles center? First, Kylie Kelce will probably get her wish, and Jason will be spending lots more time with the family. In August, CBS' Jeff Kerr posted an Instagram video of Jason playing with his two oldest girls after a team training session — and this seems to be the way of the future. Second, with more and more NFL players landing lucrative analyst gigs after their playing days are over, Jason likely has plenty of options for a second career.
Though he hasn't confirmed any future plans, the star center might be interested in coaching. "I've built up a lot of experience and expertise in this game and in particular offensive line play," he said, per Sports Illustrated. "A lot of that has been molded by Jeff Stoutland and the different offensive line coaches I've had ... so I think that whenever I watch something with Stout or a young guy. ... I definitely could see myself enjoying that but who knows what's next?"
Jason could also be forging new paths into the entertainment space now that his podcast with younger brother Travis Kelce — "New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce" — has garnered mainstream attention. "[Jason and I] typically entertain whoever is around us," Travis joked (via Forbes). Even when he does step away from the football field, we won't have seen the last of Jason.