Jason Kelce addressed the reports of his imminent retirement in the latest episode of "New Heights," the podcast he co-hosts with his brother (and fellow NFL superstar) Travis.
After the Eagles' 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round, the future Hall of Famer reportedly informed his teammates of his intention to retire during an emotional postgame address. The leaked information brought a wave of tributes for the 36-year old center.
Yet the six-time All-Pro didn't quite confirm his retirement on "New Heights," saying there is "too much emotion" in the immediate aftermath of a game to make a clear-headed decision. Still, he provided insight into his feelings and offered tearful details on his message to his teammates.
Here's what you need to know:
'New Heights' video: Jason Kelce addresses retirement
On the podcast, Kelce described the final moments of Philadelphia's season, telling Travis that Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni offered Kelce a platform to speak after Philadelphia's loss.
The Eagles center didn't feel he was in a position to make a life-changing choice in the immediate aftermath of a playoff defeat, he told his brother, who stars at tight end for the Chiefs.
"I just don't think you're in a position after a game like that to really make that decision," Kelce said. "There's too much emotion in the moment to really fully grasp that decision."
"Cherish the moments you have in this league." 💚@JasonKelce speaks on his future. (via @newheightshow) pic.twitter.com/aovDWOIjcJ
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2024
Kelce also recounted some of the lessons he tried to impart to his teammates, namely that they should "cherish the moments" that they get to experience as they play the game they love at the professional level.
Tears filled his eyes as he looked back on his storied career.
"A lot of guys [were like] 'If this is your last game, I feel sorry for you,'" Kelce said. "And I'm like 'Don't feel sorry for me... I had a f—ing...'"
Kelce then trailed off as he became overcome with emotion.
MORE: Is Jason Kelce retiring? Eagles center gave speech after wild-card loss
Despite the reports of his postgame speech to close the Eagles' 2023 campaign — one that started with Super Bowl expectations and ended in defeat — Kelce indicated that an official retirement announcement has not yet been written.
"I'm not trying to be dramatic and continue to draw this thing out, I'm really not," Kelce said. "It's just something that I think, you know, when it's time to officially announce what's happening in the future, it'll be done in a way that's, you know, definitive and pays respect to a lot of people."
