Jason Kelce announced his retirement on March 4 after being part of the Philadelphia Eagles O-Line for more than a decade. However, he knew there wouldn’t be a shortage of opportunities, even after hanging up his boots.
Even before ending his career, there were rumors that the 36-year-old would be a hot prospect for any media house. On Wednesday, the Athletic‘s Andrew Marchand wrote that ESPN is thinking about signing Jason Kelce.
Marchand’s article revealed that ESPN may bring Kelce in as an analyst for their Monday Night Countdown, the Monday Night Football pregame show. He will replace former NFL quarterback turned football analyst Robert Griffin III.
The reason ESPN gave, per Marchand, is that Griffin has “leveled off” since becoming a part of the network in 2021. The 34-year-old also has his own podcast, ‘RG3 and the Ones’, besides appearing on various shows. What’s intriguing is that, even though Bill Belichick is available after finishing his tenure with the New England Patriots, he has yet to be approached.
While Belichick is sought after, Kelce’s decision is viewed as the linchpin of the NFL TV free-agent season. Marchand wrote
Other media houses would also love to have Jason Kelce
While ESPN is in pole position to sign the future Hall of Famer, other big-name networks are not far behind. Notably, several notable faces will see their contracts with CBS run out very soon.
CBS has several openings [on] “The NFL Today,” with Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher, Boomer Esiason, and Phil Simms unsigned for next year. Marchand added
Furthermore, James Brown and J.J. Watt have inked a new deal with CBS for next year. However, Watt will only appear as a part-timer. Kelce could also partner up with Tony Romo as an announcer. Teaming up two former athletes and divisional rivals should bring out some interesting, unheard stories.
The Super Bowl winner has previously appeared as a special guest play-to-play analyst during the Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers game last November. So he has experience being on TV.
Kelce has also made an appearance on Saturday Night Live. Travis was a special host for the show, where his older brother made a cameo, earning praise from all corners.
Similar to RG3, Jason Kelce also hosts a very successful podcast. The ‘New Heights’ with brother and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has become one of the most watched and listened to shows on YouTube and various listening platforms like Apple and Spotify.
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