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That sure felt like the end of the road for Jason Kelce originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Update (8:15 a.m., Tuesday): ESPN reports that Jason Kelce has told his teammates that he is indeed retiring. More here.
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TAMPA — A red-eyed Jason Kelce finished getting dressed, picked up his bag and apologetically sliced through a group of reporters gathered around his locker stall at Raymond James Stadium.
“No, guys,” Kelce said. “Not today.”
There was no announcement. Nothing definitive.
But it sure seems like the Eagles legend and future Hall of Famer played his final football game on Monday night as the Eagles fell 32-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs.
The emotional scenes from the field and as Kelce made his way to the locker room were telling.
If that’s it, it wasn’t a storybook ending for the 36-year-old center but it was a heckuva a career. Kelce, 36, went from a sixth-round pick in 2011 out of Cincinnati to an all-time great. A seven-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro, Super Bowl champion, best center of a generation and a forever folk hero in Philly.
“I love him,” longtime teammate Lane Johnson said. “He’s one of my brothers. I never had a brother growing up. I was an only child. These guys are my family. So I love him. He’s one of the best centers to ever play the game. There’s few guys who could do the things that he could do on the football field athletically. I don’t think we’ll see another one like him for a long time.”
It was a fun ride while it lasted.
And there’s no questioning how much Kelce has meant to the Eagles organization and his teammates, new and old.
“You know man, he’s a legend in the city,” Jalen Hurts said. “Really in the league. I don’t want to do a disservice to him and the things he’s been able to do and overcome. His journey to where he is now didn’t come easy. It’s been a long, long time coming for him, and every year since I’ve been here it’s been, are you going to come…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/sure-felt-end-road-jason-120000832.html
Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia
Publish date : 2024-01-16 12:00:00
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