Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce: 'I’m playing until I’m not'

Center Jason Kelce first joined the Philadelphia Eagles via the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft and evolved into a four-time First-Team All-Pro with five Pro Bowl selections on his resume. The 34-year-old who has only played for the Eagles over the past decade has often spoken his mind, such as when he offered harsh yet direct words for All-Star guard Ben Simmons during his standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers this past October.

Thus, some may have been surprised when Kelce didn't provide a firm answer when asked about his future during an appearance on local radio station 94.1 WIP on Wednesday morning. 

"Fair question. I’ll answer it like this. I’ve answered it like this in the past," Kelce responded, per Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia. "I’m playing until I’m not. I’m an active player for the Philadelphia Eagles right now. I love my teammates, I love playing in the city. When it’s time to step away, I’ll make that abundantly clear.

"I don’t want to announce anything on the radio. I kind of feel like everything is trending in a certain direction but I’m going to make that clear to my teammates and coaches and everything like that first. I will not be announcing that today." 

During the interview, Kelce revealed that coach Nick Sirianni sent him a keg of beer to convince him to run it back with the Eagles for at least one more year. 

"He knows that the keg was delivered," Sirianni later said during a call with the radio program. "I actually got a picture of the keg at his house. He knows where we stand, he knows how important he is to this football team and he knows that we’re begging to get him back."

However, Kelce admitted the decision is difficult because he wants to spend time with his wife and two young children and also that he'll have some "regrets" regardless of what he chooses. 

"If they tell you you’re done, it is what it is, you’re out the door," he explained. "But that decision, there’s going to be some amount of regret either way. You’re going to regret not being in the locker room, with your teammates, going out on the field. And then if you come back, if something happens, why did I continue to do that? Try to not live a life of regret. Try to just enjoy the moment, enjoy the people around you." 

Even with the new league year opening a week from Wednesday, Kelce didn't sound like a man rushing such an important call.