3 Days Into Retirement, Jason Kelce Already Regrets Hanging Up His Cleats With the Eagles at the Wrong Time

Not even a week has passed, and Jason Kelce is already feeling contrite about his decision. After 13 long seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, the center announced his decision to hang up his cleats on Sunday at a press conference. Kelce was visibly overwhelmed and was fighting tears throughout his final speech. He said his goodbyes and expressed his gratitude to the Eagles, the city of Philadelphia, and his family.

In a recent episode of his podcast, ‘New Heights,’ Kelce shared that he feels disappointed about the timing of his retirement. The Eagles’ 2023 season wasn’t spectacular. They were eliminated in the Wild Card round after suffering a dismal 32-9 loss to Tampa Bay. It was after this heartbreaking loss that Kelce had expressed his desire to retire to his teammates. In the recent conversation with Travis, the former center shared the one thing he doesn’t like about his retirement. What could it be?

Kelce believes that the Eagles are going to have a big year ahead

Kelce discussed his emotional speech with Travis and expressed that he regrets his timing for retiring from the NFL. He quoted the Eagles’ possible comeback in the coming season as the reason for his disappointment. The older Kelce brother feels that while the team had probably the worst season in the franchise’s history, there is a lot of hope for this year.

“The one thing that I’m disappointed about retiring right now is I’m retiring when the Eagles had potentially the biggest collapse in the history of the organization. Not potentially, probably the most. And the reason I say that I’m upset about that is I really, truly think the Eagles are going to ball out next year.”

Kelce further shared his reasons for the prediction. He believes that every team has a “downtime” in the NFL now and again, and gave Travis’s team as an example. Kelce explained how no one could have predicted the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win by looking at their mid-season performance. He expressed that the Eagles are dealing with one of these rough patches at the moment. But he believes that in the coming year, the team is going to bounce back.

According to the former Eagle, there is still a “tremendous amount of talent there,” and the two new coaches are going to help harness the talent and “offer a new perspective.”

Kelce plans to be part of the Eagles “in some way”

2023 was a tough year for the Eagles, and after a disappointing run, Kelce feels the team is set for a “bounce back.” He reaffirmed his faith in Jalen Hurts and called him a “tremendous quarterback.” Hurts had 23 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, which were nowhere bad but couldn’t help the team in their season’s pursuit. Kelce acknowledged that the QB did not have a “good end of the year.”

But he feels that it wasn’t a marker of the QB’s skills, as the entire offense struggled last season. He further quoted the large-cap space of the Eagles as another reason why the team’s prospects look promising. Though it “really pains” him not to be a part of it.

However, it doesn’t mean that Kelce is going to stay out of all the action. The 36-year-old shared that he still plans to be involved with the team’s activities and will regularly visit the team’s facilities to help the players and management.

READ MORE: “We’ve Shared Tears”: Jason Kelce Reveals How Jeff Stoutland Turned Him Into NFL’s Best Center

“I’ll be a part of it in some way; like, I’m still gonna go down to the facilities. I’m still gonna help out in any way I can. But I’m also gonna be doing other things,” Kelce told his brother. “I’m not gonna be on the field doing it with those guys. But I can damn sure at least appreciate it from afar. That is one thing I’m really, upset about the timing of. But it is what it is. “

Jason Kelce might not be able to help the Eagles make a comeback and wash away their sins of last season, but he definitely will be an active figure in guiding his former teammates with his ample experience. The loyal Philadelphian starts a new chapter of his life, and whether it is on-field or off-field, fans’ love for him will remain the same. Don’t you think?

Read More: Emotional Jason Kelce Breaks Down While Announcing Retirement as Eagles Scramble to Replace Pro Bowl Center