Jason Kelce’s retirement let him have more fun at WrestleMania than Eagles teammate Lane Johnson

Tyler Lauletta

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Jason Kelce’s retirement let him have more fun at WrestleMania than Eagles teammate Lane Johnson image

WrestleMania XL was held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia over the weekend, and two Eagles legends made a surprise appearance in their home stadium.

As Rey Mysterio and Andrade were up against the ropes facing Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio, two large luchadores emerged from the crowd and laid waste to the bad guys.

Moments after Rey Mysterio finished off the match with a pin on Escobar, recently retired Eagles center Jason Kelce and veteran offensive tackle Lane Johnson tore off their masks, revealing their identities to raucous cheers.

According to a report from ProFootballTalk after the event, the Eagles were well aware of Johnson’s involvement in the match.

Rewatching the video, it’s clear that Kelce, now retired and freed from any restrictions that an NFL contract might put on his physical involvement in such a physical display, handled most of the work. While Johnson first tears a chair from Dominik Mysterio’s grip, it’s Kelce who slams him into the ring post and later throws him back into the ring.

As PFT noted, it’s not the first time that the worlds of the NFL and professional wrestling have crossed paths. Back in 2007, the Titans sued cornerback Pacman Jones to prevent him from taking part in pro wrestling events while he was suspended for a season, and won the case.

Per PFT:

“All NFL players have language in their contracts that prohibit them from engaging in activities ‘which may involve a significant risk of personal injury,’” Titans spokesman Robbie Bohren said at the time. “We certainly believe wrestling to be hazardous, and it is obvious from the player’s conduct that he is ignoring this aspect of his agreements with the club.”

While Johnson is still under contract with the Eagles and thus likely constrained by such language, Kelce is now retired, which may explain why he was able to get a bit more physical outside the ring.

Given how cleanly Kelce was able to jump the top rope ahead of his celebration after the match, he may have a future in the WWE if he wants to take part. Once his brother Travis Kelce decides to retire from football, they could make quite a tag team.

Tyler Lauletta

Tyler Lauletta Photo

Tyler Lauletta has been working in sports media for nearly a decade, with stops at Business Insider and Sports Illustrated. Residing just outside Philadelphia, he is a recovering Truster of the Process and remains a sicko for the Eagles, Sixers and Phillies. He’s covered the Super Bowl and World Series from the press box and hopes to finagle his way into Wimbledon in the near future. You can follow him on X/Twitter @tylerlauletta.