The Eagles reportedly offered Jason Kelce $9million in an attempt to bring him back for 2024 – with the center ultimately announcing his retirement on Monday.
Kelce – who spent his entire 13-year career in Philly – will go down as a franchise legend and is a surefire Hall of Famer.
And according to the US Sun, the Eagles were ‘desperate’ to retain the 36-year-old for another season.
The US Sun said the Eagles will retire Kelce’s No. 62 jersey after he decided to hang his cleats up.
He was paid $14.25million last season by Philly – the most of any center in the league.
He knows that he wasn’t getting younger, and seeing his brother winning another Super Bowl had him rethink maybe going back to play another season, but he took the best decision as he feels that he needed to stop his career,’ a source told the US Sun.
‘He loves Philly, the franchise, but he also wants to spend more time with his family and start another career in his life, which he knows is going to be very exciting.’
The Ohio native – who hosts the popular ‘New Heights’ podcast with his brother, Travis – could now pursue a broadcasting career.
He met with execs from ESPN and Fox during Super Bowl week, according to Front Office Sports.
Either way, his next chapter was seemingly far from his mind on Monday as he announced his retirement in front of his wife, Kylie, parents Donna and Ed, and brother, Travis.
Philly’s executive vice president Howie Roseman – who would have played a pivotal role in the team’s reported last-ditch contract offer to Kelce – was also in attendance.
Kelce needed 45 minutes to recount his career as he fought through tears at the Eagles’ facility before finally confirming his retirement.
He thanked a long list of mentors from his high school football, hockey and lacrosse coaches and his old band teachers at Cleveland Heights (Ohio) high school for putting up with a ‘rambunctious kid that was full of immaturity, stupidly and cockiness.’
He also thanked his coaches at Cincinnati for believing he could play center, a fortuitous decision that made him a great fit in Philadelphia, then thanked his four coaches with the Eagles.
Kelce choked up again thanking Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie for his leadership and general manager Howie Roseman for drafting him.
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