In March, Jason Kelce announced his retirement after a Hall of Fame career… but he’s still been around the NovaCare Complex quite a bit this spring.
And no, it’s not because I’m thinking about returning.
Part of the reason is that he still enjoys being around his former Eagles teammates.
“Part of it is that,” Kelce told John Clark at the Mike Quick Celebrity Invitational on Monday afternoon. “Part of this is just getting a free ride at NovaCare. I’ve gotten used to going down there. I love going down there. It keeps me involved with it. Whether it’s being around the guys, being around the coaches, my mind is on the game and what the teams are doing to try to prepare for next season. And things the defense is preparing to do.
“The game is always evolving and if you want to stay informed about it you have to stay involved, stay in the game, stay around the guys that are in it, the coaches that are in it. For me, I get two percent. “I can exercise and put my head out a little.”
At rookie minicamp, sixth-round center Dylan McMahon said Kelce gave him his phone number and offered to help him in any way he could. That also goes for starting center Cam Jurgens and many other players on the team. Kelce wants to continue being a resource even if he no longer plays.
Kelce, 36, retired in March after 13 seasons, 7 Pro Bowls and 6 All-Pros and will have a much different outlook for the 2024 season. Kelce accepted a job at Keynote USA as an analyst on Monday Night Countdown.
That means he’ll talk about the Eagles at the Birds’ Week 2 home opener, when they host Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons.
“It’s crazy. First home game in Philadelphia,” Kelce said. “I’m going to be back here. I think it will be a pretty awesome environment. It will be interesting to experience it on the other side for the first time. I think that’s how it will be, we’re going to assimilate it. We will see how it goes.”
When asked about his new job as an analyst, Kelce said he doesn’t expect being critical to be the hard part. She always looked at the game with a critical eye and wants to transfer that to her television career. The only difference is that she will be sharing those opinions with millions of football fans at home.
If you’re wondering what Kelce thinks of the 2024 Eagles, he expects his former team to be good this season.
“Frankly, I feel really good about this season,” Kelce said. “I’m very, very upset because I’m not going to be there with them. I firmly believe it will be a phenomenal season for the Philadelphia Eagles. So I’m looking forward to seeing that.”
Kelce acknowledged disappointment in how the Eagles’ 2023 season ended in a historic collapse, but has high expectations for the 2024 version after the team hired OC Kellen Moore and DC Vic Fangio.
Hopefully, Kelce will be able to watch some Eagles games in person this season. And maybe he’ll even make it to a tailgate or two. We all saw how much fun he had following his brother’s play in Buffalo last season.
“Of course, depending on the night,” Kelce said. “I don’t know how much I’m going to do the Bills mob on Sunday before I have to work on Monday. But I’m sure we can find some days that will work very, very well. That’s one of the things I’m really looking forward to this year as a non-player. This is the first year I can look at the NFL landscape. …
“Now I’ll be able to sit on my couch, watch all the games and go to the games. I’m going to be able to experience the tailgating like I did in Buffalo, which was a great pleasure to be on that side of the game. I’m looking forward to that to a certain extent. That certainly doesn’t beat how much it will hurt to have to see it and not be there, but every moment of your life is a moment for something. And I’m looking forward to this moment for me.”
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