Travis Kelce Can't Control His Emotions Over Brother Jason's Career News
Jason Kelce finally confirmed his time with the NFL has come to an end, and his brother, Travis Kelce, couldn't contain his emotions during the announcement. There has been speculation about Jason's rumored final moments with the NFL since he shared a fake-out video by the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2022. After pouring a cup of beer from a keg stand and then gulping it down, the football center stated, "Unfortunately, I have decided to announce that I'm retiring ... from hosting WIP [Morning Show]." With a cheeky smile, he added, "But I'm definitely not retiring from playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. I'm having way too much fun doing that.
Fans saw Jason play for the Eagles during the 2023 season and unfortunately, they didn't dominate. After losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card game and failing to make it to the playoffs, ESPN reported that Jason had told his teammates he was retiring. While he declined to comment, his teammate Jalen Hurts shared, "His journey to where he is now didn't come easy. It's been a long, long time coming for him, and every year since I've been here, it's been, 'Are you going to come back?'" The quarterback continued, "But he knows how much I love and appreciate him. He knows how much I've learned from him. He'll forever have a special place in my heart."
Jason broke his silence on the retirement rumors on his and Travis' "New Heights" podcast, but didn't confirm he was quitting. However, on March 4, he officially resigned from the NFL, and Travis couldn't keep his tears from falling during his brother's speech.
Travis Kelce was moved by Jason Kelce's words
It was an emotional day for the Kelce family, as Jason Kelce held a press conference regarding his retirement from the NFL. As captured by ABC News, Jason couldn't hold back his emotions before he began his announcement. Travis Kelce sat in the front row with their parents, Donna and Ed Kelce, along with Jason's wife, Kylie Kelce. The family watched as Jason gushed, "It was really my brother and I our whole lives. We did almost everything together — competed, fought, laughed, cried, and learned from each other. We envisioned making winning plays day after day. We won countless Super Bowls in our minds before ever leaving the house."
During his emotional speech, Eagles reporter Eliot Shorr-Parks shared a clip of Travis wiping away his tears under his sunglasses. "A beautiful moment to see Jason's family going through this with him. He is looking at them often throughout the speech," he tweeted.
The Kelce brothers have always had each other's backs, even when they faced off against one another on the turf. During a November 2023 Eagles Press Conference, Jason was asked how he felt about possibly never winning against his brother. "I've beat him enough in his life that I think I'll still be happy. I've got a lot of them," he quipped. Although his team didn't make it to the 2024 Super Bowl, Jason was right there cheering for his brother and hinted that his football days may soon be over ahead of the Big Game.
Jason Kelce knew he wouldn't be playing football forever
Jason Kelce may have been disappointed over not making it to the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, but he was sure proud that Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs did. He told NFL reporter Cameron Wolfe that he was excited to watch as a "fan" and couldn't wait for the big day. "Whenever you're watching a loved one compete there's a very prideful feeling that you have. That's very different than competing for your own ... Obviously, my brother and I love each other very much. We're cherishing these moments because we know eventually, they'll be gone."
Prior to his retirement announcement Jason told The Philadelphia Inquirer, "I don't know what's going to happen for me. But I do know, I still want to be involved in the organization and still want to be a part of it, regardless of what the decision is." He added, "Because I don't want to ever feel like I'm on the outside looking in on these achievements and these accolades and these opportunities that largely represent entire cities and fan bases and organizations." This might mark the end of playing center for the Eagles, but fans just might see Jason on the field in some way, post-retirement.