One of the Philadelphia Eagles’ best players is calling it a career.
Veteran center Jason Kelce told his teammates following Monday night’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he is retiring, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 36-year-old has contemplated retirement in the past and is said to be certain this time.
Those who saw the way Kelce walked off the field on Monday night will not be surprised. The Eagles lost 32-9 to the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Kelce was shown by ESPN’s cameras looking very emotional on the sideline late in the game. He later went out of his way to thank a group of Eagles fans who attended the game.
Kelce clearly looked like a player who was walking off the field for the final time. You can see the videos here.
Kelce, the older brother of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, has played 13 seasons and has made seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams. He has become even more highly regarded over the last half of his career, which is when he made all his All-Pro teams.
Though he won a Super Bowl with the Eagles in the 2017 and then reached another Super Bowl last season, Kelce is undoubtedly disappointed with the way his final year in the NFL ended. The Eagles began the season 10-1 before collapsing down the stretch. They lost five of their last six games in the regular season, and the poor play carried over into the playoffs.
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