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- Jason Kelce announced his retirement from the NFL in a Press conference on Monday.
- The Philadelphia Eagles center thanked his family and team for their support during his 13-year career.
- Despite wearing sunglasses, Travis Kelce also couldn’t hide his emotions during his brother’s speech.
Jason Kelce announced his retirement from the NFL during a Press conference on Monday, and he was five seconds into the speech before he started crying.
“Thanks for coming, guys. We’ll see how long this lasts,” Kelce said, before becoming overcome with emotion.
“Not a good start, here we go,” he said, after taking a few moments to compose himself, according to the video.
The Philadelphia Eagles center gave a 40-minute speech during the conference, thanking everyone around him for their support throughout his 13-year career with the team.
Kelce’s wife, his parents and his younger brother, Travis Kelce, were present, according to ESPN.
Despite wearing sunglasses, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end also couldn’t hide his emotions during his brother’s speech, as photos show.
“We have a small family, no cousins, one aunt, one uncle. It was really me and my brother our whole lives,” Kelce said. “We did almost everything together: we competed, we fought, we laughed, we cried and we learned from each other. We invented games, we imagined ourselves as star players of that era.”
Kelce added that there was “no chance” he would be where he is today without the bond he shared with his younger brother.
“It made me stronger, tougher, smarter and taught me the values of cooperation, loyalty, patience and understanding,” Kelce said. “It’s very poetic that I found my career fulfilled in the city of brotherly love. I knew that relationship very well.”
During the speech, Kelce also thanked his wife, Kylie, for being by his side.
“All the praise I have received has come with her in my life. She has brought out the best in me through love, devotion, support, honesty, intelligence and of course, the quick kick in the butt of Occasionally”. Kelce said, according to the video. “She has also given me three beautiful girls and a life that increasingly brings me more satisfaction off the field than on it.”
Rumors about Kelce’s retirement began circulating in January, following the Eagles’ 32-9 playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
League sources said ESPN after Kelce had informed his teammates in the postgame locker room of his plans to retire. NFL Network Mike Garafolo He also published the news on X.