NFL Rumors: Eagles' Jason Kelce Retires After 13 Seasons; Won Super Bowl 52

Jason Kelce's Hall of Fame-worthy career is ending after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, which included a victory in Super Bowl 52.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Kelce told teammates in the locker room after Monday's 32-9 loss in the NFC Wild Card Game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he is retiring.

Following the game, an emotional Kelce declined to answer any media questions about his future.

"No, guys," he said. "Not today."

It seemed like there was a good chance this would be Kelce's final season. He even talked about it being a possibility in October during an appearance on The NFL Report with Steve Wyche and James Palmer.

It wasn't a comment that came completely out of nowhere. Kelce teased retirement at the end of the 2022 season following the Eagles' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57. He announced a few weeks after that game he would be returning to the team.

The Eagles gave Kelce a one-year deal worth $14.25 million that made him the highest-paid center in the NFL.

During a June 2023 appearance on Sports Take with Rob Ellis and Derrick Gunn, Kelce admitted that losing in the Super Bowl couldn't help but "be a factor" in his decision to return.

This season started out very similar to the 2022 campaign for the Eagles. They won 10 of their first 11 games and looked like they would cruise to the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs again.

Things fell apart over the final six games with five losses during that stretch, including back-to-back defeats against the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. They made the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the NFC, but optimism was low going into the wild-card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Eagles selected Kelce in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft out of Cincinnati. He immediately became a staple of the offensive line, starting all 16 games as a rookie.

Kelce is leaving the NFL still playing at an elite level. The 36-year-old was named to the All-Pro first team this season for the sixth time. He has been one of the most durable offensive linemen in the NFL throughout his career. He's made 156 consecutive starts dating back to the 2014 season.

Aaron Donald (eight), Zack Martin (seven) and Bobby Wagner (seven) were the only active players with more All-Pro selections than Kelce.

There will be a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for Kelce in five years.