The 4th of March, Monday has been gloomy for Philadelphia Eagles fans. After 13 long seasons, Jason Kelce confirmed his retirement from the NFL. As the news of his retirement was confirmed, Travis Kelce’s brother was offered the role of taking over Monday Nights by ESPN. In such a situation, for Kelce, Tom Brady’s playbook and his $375 million FOX Sports deal can come in handy in ways to explore options before committing to any particular role.
As per the reports, ESPN is keen on bringing 36-year-old Kelce into the Monday Night broadcasting team. Throughout his tenure, he earned a reputation as one of the greatest centers in NFL history. He is known for acquiring seven Pro Bowl selections, a Super Bowl championship and All-Pro nods. However, ESPN is eager to help Kelce explore his off-field talents.
BREAKING: ESPN is aggressively pursuing legendary #Eagles center Jason Kelce to be apart of their Monday Night Football coverage.
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(Via The Athletic) pic.twitter.com/tlxIPI40Mf
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) March 27, 2024
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This is the best time when he can draw guidance from Brady’s career. Being the NFL GOAT with seven Super Bowls after retirement Brady did not immediately commit himself to any role. Instead, he took a break for a year to explore what suits him the best. He had put to use these 12 months in trying his luck in owning a minority share in Las Vegas Raiders.
When it did not come to fruition and got delayed, he then accepted the FOX Sports contract for the lead analyst worth $375 million, which was offered to him back in May 2022. It was not before, January this year, that the TB12 confirmed that he would be replacing Olsen and would be the top color commentator for the 2024 season. Justifying why he took time to seal the deal Brady stated, “These are the things I’m gonna do today and this is how I ultimately want to actualize my potential in this area of my life.” Similarly, everyone is aware of Kelce’s on-field success, but recently he outperformed himself on the ‘New Heights’ podcast.
Kelce reigns the broadcasting front
The Kelce brothers have achieved a milestone in their podcasting journey. Their show, ‘New Heights’ till now had been popular among the fans but for the first time, it clinched the prestigious Best Sports Podcast award from The Podcast Academy. It had been less than two months since Travis and Jason Kelce celebrated surpassing 2 million subscribers on YouTube.
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Even though both the Kelce brothers had a devoted fanbase before the podcast, through their new role, they rose to prominence. Jason drew his motivation from the heavy interest of the fans as they dominated the postgame and claimed, “I think it’s fun and guys will keep doing it as long as there’s a thirst from the audience.”
In case the former Eagles star cracks the code and joins ESPN he will be confirming his spot alongside the host Scott Van Pelt and the panel that includes Marcus Spears, Ryan Clark, Robert Griffin III, Adan Schefter, and Michelle Beisner-Buck. However, Kelce is keeping his options open and hinted at being part of the Eagles, “I don’t know what’s going to happen for me, but I do know I still want to be involved in the organization and still want to be a part of it — regardless of what the decision is.”
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As per the reports, besides ESPN, NBC, and CBS, Amazon Prime is also pursuing to gain the services of Jason Kelce. Now the ball is in Kelce’s court regarding whether he wants to try his luck in broadcasting or attempts to explore ownership opportunities in the NFL.
Also Read: “I Am Straight”: Deion Sanders Reveals Three Big Reasons Why He Never Wants to Be an NFL Head Coach