Where's Jason Kelce? What to expect when former Eagles great returns to Philadelphia with ESPN

Teddy Ricketson

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Where's Jason Kelce? What to expect when former Eagles great returns to Philadelphia with ESPN image

The Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2's "Monday Night Football" game. The Eagles will be without wide receiver A.J. Brown, but he isn't the only big-name Eagle not suiting up for the game. 

While center Jason Kelce won't be playing in the game on Monday night, he will be in attendance. The likely future Hall of Famer hung up his cleats after a 13-year career with Philadelphia. Since retiring, he has been living his best life, appearing in several TV commercials and having a memorable fan experience at a Kansas City Chiefs playoff game last year. 

The Eagles have played one game without Kelce at center. Philly picked up a 34-29 win over the Green Bay Packers. New center Cam Jurgens filled Kelce's shoes nicely and helped the Eagles rack up 144 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was sacked only twice in the win. 

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Where is Jason Kelce?

Kelce announced his retirement in March of 2024.

It was thought that it would come at the end of the 2022 season, but with a Super Bowl loss on his mind, Kelce decided to give it one more year. The Eagles fell well short of expectations, and Kelce made his decision public well before the NFL draft and free agency so it wasn't a shock to Philadelphia. 

Kelce has already appeared in commercials for NFL Sunday Ticket, Buffalo Wild Wings, Garage Beer and Kingsford. ESPN also hired him as an analyst and made him part of its "Monday Night Countdown" crew. Kelce made his debut in Week 1, and it was memorable from the start, as he forgot his shirt when he traveled and bought one that was likely a size too small. 

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Jason Kelce's joins the MNF booth

Kelce will join the "Monday Night Countdown" crew again in Week 2. He will help preview the game and give insight at halftime, making one more appearance on the show. 

Kelce will join announcers Troy Aikman and Joe Buck in the booth for the third quarter of the game. Many jokes have been made that the former center will be tailgating most of the day and could be a little inebriated for the broadcast. He is nothing if not an entertainer, so Kelce in the booth will be must-watch TV on Monday night. 

Ahead of Monday's matchup, Kelce looked like he was having a great time back in Philadelphia, dancing on a stage.

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Jason Kelce interviews Jalen Hurts

Kelce sat down with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts for an interview ahead of the Week 2 game.

The former teammates reminisced about their time in Philly while also discussing what has changed as the Eagles look to build momentum in 2024. The duo talks about their success with the tush push, especially after Philadelphia had a failed one in Week 1. 

Teddy Ricketson

Teddy Ricketson Photo

Teddy Ricketson is a Digital Content Producer at The Sporting News. He joined the team in 2024 after spending the last three years writing for Vox Media as part of its DK Nation/Network team. Teddy does his best to support the South Carolina Gamecocks and Carolina Panthers, but tends to have more fun cheering on the Atlanta Braves. In his free time, he loves spending time with his wife, Brooke, and their two dogs, Bo and Hootie.