Tearful Kelce retires after 13 NFL seasons

A tearful Jason Kelce confirmed his retirement on Monday after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The 36-year-old spent his entire career with Philadelphia, helping them win their first Super Bowl in 2018 and reach the NFL showpiece again in 2023.

Kelce was a sixth-round draft pick by the Eagles in 2011 but is now regarded as one of the NFL's best-ever centres.

He cried at the start of a news conference and continued to hold back tears as he read a lengthy statement.

Kelce denied that he had decided to retire in January, in the wake of the Eagles' exit from last season's play-offs, saying he needed time to consider his future.

A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, he played 205 games and holds the franchise record for consecutive starts.

He will be remembered as a Philadelphia legend, securing that status with a passionate speech during their Super Bowl parade in 2018 - on the steps made famous by the Rocky movies.

The Eagles returned to the Super Bowl to face the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023, with Kelce facing his brother Travis.

The Kelces, who are from Cleveland, made history as they became the first brothers to play against each other in the NFL showpiece, with Travis' Chiefs winning 38-35.

They have since become two of the most popular players in the NFL. Their New Heights podcast ended 2023 as the sixth biggest podcast in the United States,, external they have had their own Amazon Prime documentary, have appeared on Saturday Night Live and recorded a Christmas song which made it to the number one spot on iTunes.

Jason was also named as one of People magazine's sexiest men of the year, external for 2023 while Travis, 34, is now dating music superstar Taylor Swift.

After the Eagles' play-off exit, Jason supported his brother by attending the Chiefs' play-off games.

When he met Swift at Kansas City's win at Buffalo in January, Jason went shirtless as he celebrated one of his brother's touchdowns before jumping into the crowd and chugging a beer with the Bills' fans.

He then wore Chiefs dungarees for the Super Bowl and again went viral as he celebrated Kansas City's win with his brother and Swift, wearing a luchador wrestling mask as they partied at a Las Vegas nightclub.