Jason Kelce retirement from NFL drives Travis Kelce to tears

Travis Kelce arrived to Jason Kelce’s press conference in Philadelphia on Monday wearing large black sunglasses.

He undoubtedly knew that his older brother was preparing to announce his retirement from the NFL. But that didn’t stop the wave of emotions that crashed over him, which his blackout shades had no chance of concealing.

Jason Kelce announces retirement from NFL
The 36-year-old broke the news in front of a tight group of family, including Travis and Donna Kelce. He played 13 seasons in the NFL, all with the Philadelphia Eagles. They included 193 regular-season games and 12 in the postseason.

In that time, he was selected to seven Pro Bowls, was named an All-Pro six times and brought home a Super Bowl ring in 2018 when the Eagles beat the New England Patriots 33-41.

After the Eagles bowed out in the first round of the NFL playoffs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kelce’s retirement was reported by ESPN insider Adam Schefter, but Jason shut down the report and clarified the news would come from his mouth when it was time.

Kelce brothers embrace their emotions

He paid tribute to his little brother in the most emotional part of his speech, saying “I won’t forget falling short to the Chiefs and the conflicted feelings of immense heartbreak. And the amount of pride I had that my brother had climbed the mountain top again.”

Kelce is expected to stay active around the NFL. He co-hosts a chart-topping podcast with Travis, New Heights, which has given the legendary lineman a huge platform in the media world.

The Kelce brothers’ love for one another and penchant for showing their emotions more openly than many NFL players are the defining characteristics of their relationship. It shows on the podcast, it’s adored by the fans, and it’s no surprise that it took hold of Travis on Monday, no matter how hard he tried to fight it.