Jason Kelce has opened up on the reality of life without the NFL after his retirement was made official on Monday.
The center recently called time on his career after 13 years with the Philadelphia Eagles, during which time he won a Super Bowl and became one of the game’s biggest stars.
His younger brother Travis recently signed a new deal with the Kansas City Chiefs but, at 34, is entering the closing stages of his own career.
Jason announced his retirement in an tearful 45-minute speech back in March. This week, though, he was officially placed on the team’s ‘reserve/retired list’.
Jeff Stoutland – Philadelphia’s run game coordinator and offensive line coach – admitted this week that Jason’s retirement left him feeling ‘very sad because I feel like I lost a very close friend and partner.’
Jason Kelce warned brother Travis about the hardest part of being retired from the NFL
Kelce announced his retirement in an emotional 45-minute speech back in March
On the latest episode of New Heights, Kelce admitted he was ‘still getting used’ to life without football and warned Travis what awaits him.
‘It feels weird not going into the building – just the little conversations you have. You’ll realize it, Trav, when it’s gone,’ he said.
Travis responded: ‘I’m never doing it. Not after that speech. F*** that.’
Jason also addressed the comments by Stoutland. They worked together for a decade, reaching two Super Bowls and even masterminding the iconic ‘tush push’.
‘There are so many discussions that happen when you’re talking about a game – practice, improving a play, a guy on the team, ways for everyone to get better. It’s just weird not having that anymore,’ Jason said.
Eagles coach Jeff Stoutland admitted that Jason’s retirement left him feeling ‘very sad’
‘You’ve got to try and redirect it and Stout and I, that’s been our relationship for over a decade.’
Travis joked that June 3 will forever be known as ‘Jason Kelce day’, with the elder Kelce revealing how he had to formalize his retirement.
‘It was weird. I had to like submit an e-mail saying that I was retired. I was like: “Is the whole video of me crying for 45 minutes not enough?”‘ he said.
‘I’ve been officially official so it doesn’t feel an ounce bit of different. This is just beaucracy at its finest.
Kelce then joked: ‘It’s unfortunate because I think if they would have waited like two more days I would have got $30million guaranteed.’
Travis responded: ‘F***! God damn it. Usually you hope they miss those kind of things.’
